Acton Select Board approves $51,105 extrication tool for Fire Department

The Acton Select Board voted Feb. 11 to purchase an extrication (rescue) tool for the Fire Department from Fire Tech and Safety for $51,105. Jon Denekamp moved to approve the purchase; Ed Walsh seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

Fire Chief Wayne Ham recommended the AMKUS-compatible system, citing a roughly six-week delivery timeframe and lighter equipment weight compared with a TNT-brand alternative. Chief Ham said the AMKUS tools offer interchangeable, extended-reach tips that increase spread capacity by about eight inches and noted that neighboring towns use the same brand, which improves interoperability. "I would stand with my recommendation. I felt that AMKUS was the way to go," he said.

Chief Ham told the board the written quote is valid through July 2026 and that the quoted $51,105 price does not require additional add-ons. He said the vendor presently supplies tools on a DeWalt battery platform (the department prefers that over a smaller amp-hour alternative) and that industry warranties commonly cap serviceable life at about 10 years.

The Town Administrator reported the Fire Department has roughly $2,376.93 in a donations line and $8,808.79 in the Fire Department capital fund, for a combined total of about $11,000 available toward the purchase. The board discussed placing the purchase on the warrant and appropriating the remaining funds at Town Meeting.

Next steps: the Select Board authorized naming Fire Tech and Safety as the vendor pending town-meeting appropriation and directed staff to include the item and funding language on the warrant.