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Acton board reviews ambulance bids and agrees to proceed with single multiband radio purchase for Fire Department
Summary
At its May 14 meeting the Acton Select Board reviewed two ambulance bids for a new F550 ambulance and agreed there was no objection to Fire Chief Wayne Ham purchasing one $3,400 multiband radio now while staff compare procurement options and funding for further purchases.
The Acton Select Board on May 14 reviewed two bids for a 2026 Ford F550 ambulance and discussed a Fire Department request to buy a multiband radio to replace separate VHF and UHF units.
The Town Administrator opened bids from Autotronics and Specialty Vehicles. Autotronics’ total with listed options came to $623,012; Specialty Vehicles’ comparable total was $655,484. Fire Chief Wayne Ham said the department and Select Board members will review the bids and compare specifications before a final procurement decision is made.
Chief Ham also asked permission to purchase a Tate-brand multiband radio priced at $3,400, saying it would consolidate VHF and UHF capability (current radios cost about $1,500 each) and reduce operator errors from carrying nonidentical units. "The radios currently in use are about $1,500 each," Chief Ham told the Board, and he said funds for a single radio exist in the department’s current budget. He indicated he had included two additional radios in a recent grant application and planned further purchases after July 1 when the new fiscal-year budget is available.
Board members discussed price comparisons: Chief Ham noted Motorola multiband units run $8,000–$10,000 and Harris units $6,000–$7,000. The Town Administrator clarified the Chief’s request was not for additional budget authority but for a waiver of the formal bidding requirement applicable to purchases at that price point. The Select Board "had no issue with purchasing the one radio," though no formal vote waiving bidding was recorded.
The ambulance procurement process remains at the bid-evaluation stage; the Fire Department and Select Board did not award a contract at the meeting and will return with a recommendation after technical comparisons and funding review.
Next steps: staff will compare ambulance bid specifications and pricing, and the Fire Chief will pursue the single radio purchase and report back to the Select Board on whether a formal bid waiver is sought and how many additional radios will be procured under future budgets.
