Cedar Fort council approves new wildland gear and radios as fire department presses repairs

Cedar Fort — The town council voted to buy four life‑safety wildland fire shelters and a federal‑compatible wildfire radio as the volunteer fire department detailed equipment failures and pressed council members to identify sustainable funding.

Chief Russell, chief of the town’s fire department, told the council the department had five calls in March and recently reorganized the station and daily duties. He described recurring mechanical failures on the brush truck — including an engine that sometimes shuts off and pump issues — and said parts and replacement options are expensive: a chassis only may cost in the neighborhood of $60,000 while fully outfitted brush trucks were quoted from about $70,000 to $400,000.

“Those trucks need maintenance,” Chief Russell said. He described outreach to local dealerships (including Action Auto and Truck Ranch) about donations or used-options and said most responses were negative; the department’s current options include repairing older apparatus or budgeting toward a replacement.

Council members approved purchase of four wildland fire shelters for $2,305.25 (motion approved) and a single Benedict’s King BKR‑5000 radio, with the council setting a not‑to‑exceed budget of about $3,000 for the radio. Chief Russell explained the radio will let the town communicate with federal resources on wildland incidents; dual‑band radios that also talk to county systems were described as cost‑prohibitive.

The council heard that the town will purchase the equipment upfront and seek state reimbursement where applicable: “The town will buy it itself, and then we will be reimbursed from the state,” Chief Russell said, noting chief’s signature and itemized reimbursement paperwork will be required.

Council and staff discussed using existing budget lines and grants to cover unanticipated purchases. During the budget review that followed, council members noted that some fire‑fund line items (marketing, wages) have unspent amounts that could be amended at year end to free funds for equipment, and staff said grant proceeds already received would be reflected when expenses are entered.

What happens next: The town will proceed with the purchases; the chief will manage itemized receipts for state reimbursement where eligible and return with further recommendations about whether to repair the brush truck or budget for replacement.

Clarifying details: The council discussed preliminary price ranges for chassis (~$60,000) and a range of $70,000–$400,000 for new brush trucks; the radio quote discussed ranged roughly from $2,400 to $2,800 depending on shipping; the shelters cost $2,305.25 in total. The town expects partial grant reimbursement for some items but will cover small overages locally.

Sources and attributions: Quotations and purchase approvals are drawn from remarks by Chief Russell and motions recorded during the council meeting.