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Commission retires 1997 Pierce ladder truck, approves transfer to county training facility
Summary
Putnam County commissioners voted to retire the county's 1997 Pierce 65-foot ladder truck and allow transfer to the Hurricane training center for use in firefighter training, citing high repair costs and long lead times for replacement vehicles.
Putnam County commissioners unanimously approved retiring a 1997 Pierce 65-foot ladder truck and transferring it to the Hurricane training facility for continued use as a training asset.
Fire Administrator Dave Turley described the truck as aging and costly to repair, noting repeated component failures and rising costs: “The 1997 Pierce is 65 foot, and it's had its time,” he said, recommending the truck be moved to the county training facility so volunteer and career firefighters can continue to use it for training. Commissioners discussed new ladder-truck lead times and steep replacement costs, and agreed the truck was better repurposed for training rather than kept in active service.
Commissioner Ellis moved to authorize the commission president to sign necessary documents to retire the vehicle and allow its transfer to the training center; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.
Why it matters: Commissioners said new ladder trucks are increasingly expensive and have multi-year delivery times, making continued maintenance of older units less practical. Staff did not present a purchase plan or funding source for replacement apparatus at this meeting.
