Washington County approves up to $800,000 for airport crash truck to meet FAA requirements
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Summary
The county authorized up to $800,000 to repair an existing unit and buy a used 2014 Oshkosh airport rescue/firefighting vehicle, contingent on a third‑party inspection; commissioners cited FAA and Defense Contract Management Agency requirements and approved the purchase 4-0.
The Washington County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to authorize up to $800,000 to repair Unit 35‑2 and acquire a used 2014 Oshkosh aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle for the Hagerstown Regional Airport.
Brandy Kentner, the county’s director of purchasing, recommended the emergency, sole‑source procurement (PUR‑18‑04) and said the acquisition will be contingent on a third‑party inspection by a certified fire‑truck mechanic. Kentner said the unit will preserve a reserve firefighting capability at the airport and allow apparatus rotation for maintenance.
County staff and airport officials told commissioners the purchase is motivated in part by regulatory requirements from the Federal Aviation Administration and the Defense Contract Management Agency that call for no fewer than two compliant aircraft rescue firefighting units to be in service. Andrew Eshman, director of public works, and the airport’s public safety representatives described operational demand tied to large‑scale airport activity and mutual‑aid responses.
Commissioner Leatherman pressed staff on operational limits and roadway access, noting the vehicle’s weight and capacity: the truck was described in the record as about 100,000 pounds and able to carry roughly 4,500 gallons of water and 650 gallons of foam. Leatherman said those features are essential for large flammable‑liquid incidents that exceed structural firefighting capabilities.
Kentner and staff said funding for the purchase comes from the airport capital improvement fund (E Q P‑031) and that the airport fund is an enterprise fund, meaning the acquisition is not paid from general tax revenue. The board moved to approve the purchase and the motion passed on a voice vote recorded as 4‑0.
Next steps: the purchase is contingent on the inspection named in the procurement recommendation; if the inspection finds material issues, staff said the county could decline the purchase or consider reselling the unit and procuring a different vehicle.