Fire chief urges earlier purchase of ladder truck to save inflation costs; estimated price now $1.9M–$2.5M

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 setup and more crew to operate. He said older ladders take about 5–7 minutes to set up with three to four people, while modern automated devices can be deployed by fewer crew members in under a minute.

Melinger and finance staff reported manufacturers' current price estimates ranged roughly from $1.9 million for a ladder device (without a rear platform) to $2.5 million for a platform-style apparatus similar to the city's existing truck. They said industry price inflation of roughly 5–5.5% per year means delaying purchase increases costs, and staff estimated that purchasing earlier (for example in 2028 instead of 2030) could save on the order of $300,000 in today's dollars.

Council members asked about salvage or resale value of the old apparatus; Melinger said there is a limited secondary market and an old engine or truck might fetch roughly $30,000–$40,000 depending on market conditions. The council and staff discussed tradeoffs between moving up the ladder purchase and deferring other vehicle replacements; staff noted many other equipment items have shorter replacement cycles (10–15 years) while a ladder's useful life can be 30–35 years.

No formal purchase decision or appropriation occurred at the workshop; the ladder truck timing and funding remain items for CIP and budget discussions.