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Harwinton committee tables fire-apparatus approval pending engine and warranty details; budget request presented
Summary
The Capital Equipment Committee reviewed updated bids for a new fire apparatus but tabled approval to seek an alternate Cummins L9 engine quote and local warranty arrangements. The committee also presented an unchanged $350,000 capital equipment request that includes a nine-ton 4x4 dump truck; motions were made regarding chassis ordering and the budget.
The Harwinton Capital Equipment Committee reviewed updated bids for a fire apparatus and received the committee’s 2025–26 capital equipment budget request at a meeting March 4.
Scott Kellogg went over updated proposals submitted by Helie and Freightliner that add on-spot chains and a swivel water discharge and described two procurement approaches: supplying the chassis from the town or accepting the builder-supplied chassis. He reported that the builder-supplied package was less expensive and reduces the risk of the body being misfitted to a chassis supplied separately.
Committee members asked the vendor to provide a price to install a Cummins L9 engine instead of the DD8 originally specified and recommended that Westside Fire identify a dealer in Connecticut or adjacent states to perform warranty work. Because those clarifications and pricing were outstanding, the committee tabled final approval of the updated bid pending the additional engine pricing and warranty arrangements.
Justin Downes, chairman of the Capital Equipment Committee, presented the committee’s 2025–26 capital equipment budget request, which he said remains unchanged from the prior year at $350,000. Downes identified one planned purchase in the request as “unit 15,” a nine-ton 4x4 dump truck. He reported chassis bids of $155,100 from International, $176,000 from Freightliner and $216,700 from Western Star, and said manufacturers estimated 9–12 months for chassis delivery because of ongoing supply-chain issues.
The committee discussed next steps for body procurement; Downes said the town will put the body build out to bid in late spring to align schedules. John Fredsall moved to order a chassis once the 2025–26 budget is approved; Bill Buys seconded that motion. Bill Buys subsequently moved to approve the $350,000 budget request and Mike Mastrobatisto seconded. The transcript records the motions and seconds but does not record a formal roll-call vote or tally in the minutes.
With no other business, the meeting concluded at 2:30 p.m.
