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Fire chief asks for station fixtures, defibrillators and long-lead apparatus orders
Summary
Fire Department staff asked the commission to reserve funds for fixtures, furniture and equipment for a planned new station and noted the long procurement lead time for apparatus; staff recommended staged apparatus orders so purchases can be cash-flowed without borrowing.
Leavenworth Fire Chief Burch and staff presented capital requests tied to an upcoming new fire station and to ongoing apparatus replacement.
Chief Burch said the department’s near-term requests include replacement defibrillators, lockers at Station 2, door-entry and security upgrades, and fixtures, furniture and equipment (FFE) for the planned new station. Staff said bond proceeds already set aside for an aerial apparatus (an ordered aerial) are invested and awaiting delivery; the city must have funds available when the apparatus is delivered under Kansas cash-basis law.
On apparatus procurement, staff noted it takes roughly three years from order to delivery for ladder trucks and similar apparatus. Chief Burch said he originally sought a program that replaced apparatus roughly every 12 years but that practical experience often stretched replacement cycles to 15 years; the department is asking for a multi-year schedule and urged commissioners to plan ordering well before delivery dates to avoid spikes in capital needs.
Finance staff said the recommendation is to order apparatus in a cadence (for example, staggering purchase orders across years) so the city can cash-flow apparatus purchases rather than borrowing, and to account for the money at the time of ordering. The schedule in staff materials shows a pattern of ordering across 2029–2030 with some items unscheduled and others phased to keep replacement affordable.
Why it matters: Fire apparatus and station equipment are capital-intensive and have long lead times; decisions made now affect the city’s capital needs for years. Staff asked commissioners to account for ordering and funding timing in the CIP and said earlier orders may be required to meet replacement needs on time.
Next steps: Staff will continue to refine the apparatus ordering schedule and funding plan and return with more detailed cost and timing information; the aerial apparatus already ordered remains funded and will be delivered in a future year, financed by funds set aside in the capital project fund.
