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Mercer Island authorizes purchase and financing of new Pierce Enforcer fire engine
Summary
Council approved Ordinance 25‑34 to join a multi‑agency purchase of four Pierce Enforcer engines and to enter a tax‑exempt installment purchase (lease‑purchase) agreement. The city’s share is part of a $1,267,470 joint price for four engines; staff negotiated a PPI escalator with a 10% cap and recommended nine‑year financing.
Mercer Island’s City Council on Nov. 18 authorized the purchase and financing of a new type‑1 fire engine after staff and Eastside Fire and Rescue explained supply constraints and options. The council adopted Ordinance 25‑34 (suspending the usual second‑reading requirement) to allow the city manager to execute a joint purchase agreement with Eastside Fire and Rescue and Hughes Fire Equipment and to enter a master tax‑exempt installment purchase agreement with Municipal Asset Management.
Deputy Chief Greg Grama described the recommended vehicle — the Pierce Enforcer with a 750‑gallon water tank and a pump rated at up to 1,500 gallons per minute — and said the joint negotiated price for four like vehicles is $1,267,470. Staff said delivery under the Build‑My‑Pierce program is estimated at 31–36 months (faster than fully custom alternatives) and that the purchase agreement includes a producer‑price‑index escalator with a total price cap of 10% to share supplier risk among the parties. Finance staff recommended a lease‑purchase (installment contract) so the city will accrue ownership over a nine‑year term and begin debt service next year from the equipment rental fund.
Council asked about lifecycle and resale: staff said an expected service life is about 20 years (roughly 15 years front‑line use, then five years as a reserve), and the secondary market for surplus apparatus is volatile (staff estimated a nominal resale ceiling around $50,000 for retired units). After questions, the council voted to suspend the second‑reading rule and adopt the ordinance by roll call.
What’s next: Implementation steps include executing the joint purchase and lease‑purchase agreements and updating fleet‑funding strategies during the 2027–28 budget process to account for rising apparatus costs.
