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Eagle Pass fire chief seeks 100-foot aerial apparatus as 2008 unit nears end of service life
Summary
Fire Chief Cardona told a CIP town hall the department seeks a 100-foot aerial platform to replace a 2008 75-foot apparatus that is expected to reach end of service life by 2028; staff and councilors discussed grants, county contributions and a roughly $2.5 million base price estimate.
Chief Cardona told citizens the fire department is proposing acquisition of a 100-foot aerial apparatus for the FY 2026–27 capital improvement plan to replace a 2008 Pierce aerial that he said will be 20 years old by 2028 and is approaching the end of its service life.
"Our capital improvement project is the proposal for the acquisition of a 100 foot aerial apparatus for this 26–27 fiscal year," Cardona said, adding that the aging 75-foot unit creates reliability and safety concerns for training and emergency response and cannot reach the roofs or upper floors of many local hotels, large buildings and other high-occupancy structures.
Cardona described the aerial (sometimes called a ladder truck or a quint) as primarily a rescue, ventilation and technical-rescue tool rather than a pump-focused fire engine. He said a 100-foot platform would improve firefighter safety and allow crews to reach larger buildings within Eagle Pass, neighboring Maverick County and tribal facilities such as the Kikapoo tribal casino.
City staff answered audience questions about funding. Administration said the Stone Garden program—described at the meeting as law-enforcement-focused—would not apply to the purchase. City staff said they are pursuing interlocal contributions through the county’s fire and EMS service agreement and are seeking grants to help offset costs. Cardona said the base price for many new aerial apparatuses is now about $2.5 million (staff characterized this as a national base-price estimate rather than a firm bid).
The chief also outlined operational details of the apparatus: many modern quints carry limited onboard water (roughly 400 gallons) while their platform-mounted nozzles can deliver large flows from above; the units also carry high-angle rescue gear and air cylinders for firefighters’ self-contained breathing apparatus.
Next steps: the aerial apparatus request is on the city’s CIP list for public feedback and ranking; staff said they will continue grant searches and intergovernmental negotiations to identify funding sources before the item goes to Planning & Zoning and then to City Council.
