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Fire chief: new pumper expected in February; ongoing gear and facility needs flagged
Summary
The fire chief reported the department is fully staffed at 19, expects a new pumper in early February, and requested steady capital for turnout gear, SCBA bottles and other apparatus maintenance to avoid large one-time replacements.
The fire chief told the council the department is currently fully staffed at 19 personnel (counting the chief), organized in three shifts with a five-person minimum on duty. He said a new pumper is expected to arrive in the first week of February and that the new apparatus will bring frontline trucks up to 2025 model years while older vehicles will be retained as backups.
The chief listed capital needs intended to keep replacement cycles steady: rotating turnout gear (approximately $5,000 per set), SCBA bottles (quoted at roughly $1,700 each), sections of fire hose, nozzles, shelving for the new pumper and other upfits. He said the department budgets about $80,000 for these rolling replacements and highlighted a series of smaller but mission-critical tools (vent saw, K12 saw, hose washer, deck gun and lanterns).
On facilities, the chief asked for repairs to aging boilers, roof leaks and the generator, citing repeated water intrusion in training and server rooms and urging attention to avoid mold and equipment damage. The council discussed funding options linked to a larger capital total and short-term borrowing plan that could use local-option sales tax.
No votes on fire capital were taken at the workshop; staff and council agreed to provide fuller capital lists before the next budget meeting.
