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Carlisle approves emergency appropriation after $40,000 BWC grant to replace aging extrication tools
Summary
Council approved an emergency supplemental appropriation to buy new battery-powered extrication tools after the fire department won a $40,000 BWC safety grant; total equipment value is about $57,000 with a net city cost of roughly $10,000 after trade‑in and discounts.
Chief Lane, Carlisle’s fire chief, told City Council on July 9 that the department had been awarded a $40,000 safety grant from the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) to replace aging hydraulic extrication tools. He said the new battery-powered tools run on 60V batteries, are lighter and more reliable, and will replace more than 25 older hydraulic units.
Chief Lane said the vendor’s list price for the replacement package is about $57,000; a $3,000 bulk-purchase discount and a $4,000 trade-in allowance for the department’s old equipment reduce the effective purchase price. After applying the $40,000 grant, the out-of-pocket cost to the fire budget is about $10,000, he said. The department requested an emergency supplemental appropriation so staff could issue a purchase order and meet the grant’s spending timeline.
City Manager Chris Lohr explained that the appropriation must be opened for the full purchase amount so the purchase order can be issued; grant and trade‑in reimbursements will offset the appropriation as payments arrive. Council approved Ordinance 20-24 on a single emergency reading to authorize the reappropriation and allow the department to proceed.
“It is a huge win with the budget that we have and aging sets of extrication tools that badly need to be replaced,” Chief Lane said. He described the new cordless tools as a major safety and capability upgrade, noting they require no hydraulic lines and are easier to use and maintain.
Council members thanked Chief Lane for pursuing the grant and supported the emergency approval. The ordinance passed by unanimous roll call.
Next steps: staff will open the appropriation, issue the purchase order, accept the improvements once delivered, and process the grant and trade‑in receipts to offset the fiscal impact to the fire fund.
