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Fire chief urges earlier purchase of ladder truck to save inflation costs; estimated price now $1.9M–$2.5M
Summary
Fire Chief Jason Melinger told the council the city's 1982 ladder truck is aging and that modern replacements cost about $1.9 million (non-platform) to $2.5 million (platform); he recommended considering buying earlier (e.g., 2028) to avoid annual inflation that could increase cost by roughly $100,000–$125,000 per year.
Fire Chief Jason Melinger described the condition and safety limitations of the city's aging 1982 platform aerial ladder and urged the council to consider the timing of a replacement to reduce future costs.
Melinger said the current ladder is a platform aerial device that was refurbished in 2001; it still functions but lacks modern safety features (for example, minimum 18-inch side rails on newer devices) and requires longer…
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