Borough staff outlines three options to fix limited local capacity for fire truck and ambulance repairs
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Summary
Administration presented three options to address shortfalls in local EVT-certified mechanics for fire apparatus: let local departments lead, contract with local shops or hire borough mechanics and set up a borough shop; officials will seek FTA permission to use Tesoro Avenue and return with an update May 18, 2026.
The Resac committee of the Fairbanks North Star Borough heard detailed recommendations from borough administration on options to address a shortage of locally available certified mechanics for fire apparatus and ambulances.
Administration representative Mr. Cuba told the committee an internal working group met twice and developed three paths: do not have the borough directly participate and instead support local fire services; fund a contract with a local shop (or retain a contractor) that can employ EVT-certified mechanics, either mobile or shop-based; or hire three borough mechanics and equip a borough shop at Pega Road or, with Federal Transit Administration permission, Tesoro Avenue. "We don't necessarily want to rush into a solution to this," Mr. Cuba said, urging more analysis and an RFP to understand local capacity and true costs.
Officials estimated the cost of option 3 — hiring three mechanics — at roughly $500,000 in annual personnel expenses and an additional $300,000–$400,000 for initial shop equipment such as lifts and specialized tools. Administration cautioned procurement rules and noted that using contractors could carry substantially higher hourly shop rates than a borough-operated shop.
A fire chief who testified said local shops often cannot store or hold apparatus during long repairs and may lack experience ordering parts for fire trucks, arguing that "if anything is gonna work better, it's going to be a borough run shop that has people that are trained." That chief also warned mobile mechanics are practical for minor services but are not suitable for major repairs requiring lifts or extended storage.
Another chief described a strong relationship with UAF Facility Services, which provides EVT-certified mechanics, but said university capacity is limited and cannot take on a significant increase in borough work. Northstar's chief said his department maintains much of its own fleet and favors a pay-for-service arrangement, using borough lifts or specialized services as needed rather than committing to a centralized system that some departments might rarely use.
Committee members pressed administrators on origins and timing. Administration said the issue was highlighted in a letter from a group of fire chiefs reporting difficulty finding local capacity. Members also asked whether borough general-fund dollars could be used; Mr. Cuba said they could not: "We would not be able to use general fund dollars" to fund the positions, meaning any hiring model would require a mix of non–area-wide funds and contributions from fire service areas.
Administration said Tesoro Avenue was built with federal funds and that expanding permitted uses to include fire apparatus would require returning to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for approval, a process likely to take about nine to 12 months. Administration estimated it could add insurance to permit servicing non–borough apparatus at roughly $5,000 annually, enabling the borough to offer services to outside entities for a fee.
On costs, one committee member ran back-of-envelope math on the administration's estimates and concluded that, counting personnel and equipment amortization, an in-house hourly equivalent could be substantially higher than current third-party shop rates for certain departments; others said that despite higher front-end costs, a borough-run operation would provide more stable long-term capacity. A speaker representing departments that use third-party shops said those shops' current shop rate is "right around $2.50 to $2.75 an hour" for minor services, but emphasized that heavy repairs requiring lifts are not practical for mobile providers.
Administration recommended further work with the fire chiefs and development of an RFP to assess contractor interest and pricing before choosing a path. The committee asked for an apparatus inventory by service area to better estimate demand and cost allocation. No motions or votes were taken on the item.
The committee set a follow-up for May 18, 2026, and administration said it would continue outreach to chiefs, begin the FTA permission process for Tesoro Avenue, and report progress at the next meeting.
