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Portsmouth Council unanimously approves $2.5M bond for ladder fire apparatus after discussion on lead times and traffic-calming compatibility
Summary
Portsmouth City Council approved a $2.5 million appropriation and bond authorization to purchase a ladder fire apparatus, citing industry lead times of 41–60 months and the desire to lock pricing; a public commenter urged that future trucks be compatible with speed cushions.
Portsmouth — The Portsmouth City Council on Oct. 20 adopted a resolution authorizing up to $2,500,000 in bonds or notes to buy a ladder fire apparatus, saying long industry lead times made early ordering prudent.
"Right now, the current lead time for fire apparatus of this type is anywhere from 41 to 60 months," Fire Chief Bill McClellan told the council, urging the city to move up procurement to shorten delivery and lock a price. Chief McClellan described the vehicle as a ladder/aerial device used for technical rescues, roof access and to carry additional equipment and ground ladders.
The measure came after a public hearing. Tyler Garza, a Zoom commenter, told the council he supported timely fire response but asked the city to require future trucks be compatible with speed cushions and to consider smaller response vehicles for non-fire EMS calls. "This expenditure should not be authorized without a specific requirement for all future trucks to have compatibility with speed cushions," Garza said.
Councilors acknowledged the tradeoffs. Councilor Begley asked about vehicle size and whether a standard truck would meet future building needs; Chief McClellan said a roughly 100-foot aerial device is industry standard and can serve Portsmouth’s range of calls. Councilor Bateman and others noted a pilot of speed cushions showed ambulances and some apparatus had difficulty straddling cushions when vehicles pulled to the curb.
Councilor (mover) moved to adopt the resolution and a second was recorded; a roll-call vote was unanimous. The council’s approval authorizes the appropriation and permits city finance staff to issue bonds or notes up to the stated amount to fund procurement.
The next procedural step is procurement and contract execution; Chief McClellan said staff will work with finance to lock pricing and select a manufacturer. The city did not specify a delivery date beyond efforts to shorten the industry lead time.
