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Addison approves up to $1.47M for replacement airport rescue vehicles to remove PFAS-containing foam
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Summary
The council authorized staff to purchase two ARFF (Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting) vehicles and an ARFF rapid intervention vehicle, citing environmental and safety concerns over PFAS-containing AFFF; the purchase is funded from the FY26 capital plan and airport funds and includes a roughly $435,000 trade-in value.
Fire Chief CJ Alexander described the council item as a replacement of two airport rescue vehicles—Squad 101 and Rescue 101—because the existing apparatus contain AFFF ("triple F foam") with PFAS/"forever chemicals" that pose long-term environmental and health risks and are increasingly restricted. Chief Alexander said the replacements transition the department to F3 foam, which he stated has no PFAS and provides effective suppression while reducing long-term contamination.
Chief Alexander detailed vehicle capabilities: the new Titan 6x6 ARFF will double water capacity from about 1,500 to 3,200 gallons, include approximately 450 gallons of foam capacity and 500 pounds of dry chemical, and add capabilities not present on the older unit. He said the procurement was included in the FY26 CIP and bond plan and that Sourcewell/HGAC cooperative contracts were being used to secure competitive pricing. The purchase price in the item was capped at $1,471,791, and staff reported a trade-in valuation of roughly $435,000 for the older units.
Council members asked about expected service life (Chief Alexander: Rescue ~12–15 years; squad ~8–10 years), training needs (included in vendor price and not expected to create ongoing pay-tier changes), and the possibility of recourse against manufacturers for PFAS contamination; staff said no active class-action litigation was known and that the vehicles and their foam legacy are a nationwide issue. Council voted to approve the resolution authorizing the purchase by voice vote.
What’s next: Staff will execute the purchase order under the stated contract vehicles and report on delivery and training timelines; Chief Alexander said the new Squad 101 could arrive as early as May and the Rescue 101 this summer.
