Committee orders teardown inspection of aging pumper; moves command-vehicle proposal to full Council

Committee members discussed the future of a 1996 Spartan pumper and a separate proposal for a dedicated fire command vehicle. Commissioners reported an initial surface-level repair estimate of about $4,000 but cautioned that hidden damage could substantially raise costs once the truck is disassembled. Vice President Poli recommended an in-depth teardown inspection "let them start taking it apart" to obtain an accurate repair estimate before committing to repairs or sale.

Fire commissioners and council members noted that if the apparatus is taken apart for inspection, reassembly costs and the economics of sale versus repair will factor heavily into the final recommendation. An inspector's teardown would clarify whether repairs are feasible or whether the borough should sell the vehicle "as is," possibly yielding only modest resale value to a parts or rebody buyer.

Separately, the committee discussed outfitting a vehicle as a fire command vehicle (lights, painted livery, command equipment) to reduce reliance on the fire chief's personal vehicle and to transport volunteers to training. Staff estimated an outfitting cost around $155,000. After discussion, the committee voted to move both the apparatus-inspection authorization and the command-vehicle proposal to full Council for a formal vote.

Next steps: authorize teardown inspection (to proceed under Fire Commission oversight) and consider command-vehicle funding and procurement at full Council.