Ferron fire chief says 32-year-old extrication power unit failed; provides $42K–$48K replacement estimates

Ferron Fire Chief Randy Canton told the City Council that a 32‑year‑old hydraulic power unit failed during a recent response and that replacement parts for the department's dual‑line system are no longer manufactured. He said the city relied on mutual aid to finish the call and that the department fired the old unit several times afterward to diagnose the problem.

Canton said suppliers offered two practical options: replace the existing hydraulic power unit and associated components (a three‑tool hydraulic package quoted at about $42,000) or move to modern battery‑powered extrication tools (a new three‑tool e‑tool set with additional batteries and chargers in the $45,000–$48,000 range). He told council that lead times on brand‑new units are about 8–12 weeks, but a demo kit could be made available in roughly four weeks for the department to test. Canton said some legacy parts are discontinued and that the department would prefer to retain functioning hydraulic tools if a retrofit or secondary power pack is practical.

Canton asked staff to compile formal quotes and said he would deliver them to the city clerk so the council could discuss funding. Council members and staff discussed grant options but noted limits: Canton said FEMA and some grant programs have eligibility or ceiling limits that make them unlikely to fully cover the replacement cost. Council direction was procedural: staff will receive the quotes from Canton and, if necessary, the council can consider a special meeting or ratify a purchase at the March council meeting.

The council did not take final funding action at the meeting. Canton emphasized the operational risk of running with limited or aging equipment and the benefit of having a second set of tools available to dispatch to simultaneous incidents.