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City staff recommends Allegiance/Pierce apparatus to replace frontline engine; engine allocation expires April 10
Summary
Staff briefed the council on a recommended purchase of a new front-line fire truck, citing a limited supply of the Cummins L9 engine allocated to Ellsworth until April 10 and a projected 13-month delivery; staff recommended Allegiance (Pierce) as meeting specs with a total package planned to remain under $1 million.
Staff member (Staff member) told the council the apparatus committee evaluated several vendors and recommended procuring a Pierce-based apparatus through Allegiance, which met specifications, has shorter local service time and a competitive price with prepayment savings.
The staff member warned of a narrow window: "This engine is as far as we is the last engine available anywhere. Pierce just happens to have one sitting on the shelf, and currently it's allocated for Ellsworth until April 10th," the staff member said, adding that missing that allocation could increase the purchase price by about $65,000. Delivery time noted in the presentation was 13 months from contract signing and staff recommended packaging the purchase and outfitting in a single authorization to avoid future price escalation on equipment.
Staff described trade-offs that trimmed the 'wants' from 'needs' — excluding higher-cost comfort or cosmetic options in favor of functional equipment — and said the sale of the existing Engine 7 (expected via broker) would help fund outfitting and capital reserves. They estimated auction or broker proceeds in the tens of thousands and said the full replacement and outfitting package is planned to stay under $1 million, excluding potential grant offsets.
Councilors asked about maintenance and service logistics; staff said Allegiance offers local mobile service (about a 45-minute drive) and that the Pierce body will be built to spec, with service support and Cummins engines providing a wider mechanic base for future maintenance. Staff said the formal authorization to proceed would be brought to council at a scheduled meeting (staff indicated Thursday).
