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Daniels County discusses plan to replace aging fire truck, considers loans and DNRC options
Summary
The county's volunteer fire department described quotes for replacing an aging truck and asked the board to support a plan combining fundraising, a departmental down payment to hold a used chassis, and county loan financing. Commissioners asked for target figures and authorized staff to pursue options and hold vehicles with a departmental down payment pending loan arrangements.
The Daniels County commissioners heard an extended presentation on Sept. 15 about the volunteer fire department's need to replace a deteriorating brush/rescue truck and explored financing and procurement options.
Fire representatives (introduced in the meeting as present by S1) presented several price estimates, including used chassis options in the $30,000–$50,000 range and fully built apparatus with beds and tanks that could reach higher totals once freight and bed work were included. The department noted the county's newest county truck dates from 1997 and the vehicle being retired has required multiple engine replacements.
Commissioners, county staff and volunteers discussed several financing paths: using donated or fundraising seed money, seeking grant opportunities, pursuing an intercap (government) loan that might require a county co‑signature, and a DNRC (state) bed‑build program in which DNRC constructs or supplies a bed but retains certain rights to the bed under the program terms. Commissioners cautioned against arrangements that would leave the county or department without long‑term control of equipment and asked staff and volunteers to weigh "all‑or‑none" options for DNRC involvement.
The board agreed to a practical step: allow the fire department to place a departmental down payment to hold a suitable used truck, then have county staff process a loan application for the remainder of the purchase price if the truck meets the board's review. Commissioners recommended starting with more modest truck targets that can be financed and replaced on a five‑to‑seven‑year rotation, rather than seeking a single $200,000 vehicle that would be difficult to fund locally.
County staff and commissioners also discussed establishing dedicated accounts for loan principal and interest and suggested seeding a reserve (one participant proposed $5,000 a year as an illustrative target) to make future replacement purchases more predictable. The department will search for viable VIN‑level vehicle listings and coordinate any down‑payment steps with county staff before completing a purchase.
