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Acton fire chief recommends battery-powered extrication tools; board to revisit purchase next week
Summary
Acton Fire Chief Ham presented three quotes to replace the department’s inoperable 2002 hydraulic extrication tool with modern battery-powered equipment compatible with common batteries; the board asked for warranty and funding details and will revisit the purchase next week.
Fire Chief Wayne Ham told the Select Board on Feb. 4 that Acton’s hydraulic extrication tool, manufactured in 2002, failed and is no longer repairable. Chief Ham presented three vendor quotes for battery-powered extrication equipment and recommended a system that uses nonproprietary batteries (Dewalt or Milwaukee) to ensure interoperability with mutual-aid partners such as Sanford.
Chief Ham explained that one quoted vendor required a proprietary battery and had separate windshield-cutting units, and another lower-cost quote lacked requested extended-reach cutters and a four-bay charger. He said the department favored equipment with common battery compatibility and interoperability with Sanford’s heavy rescue units during major incidents.
The board asked staff to confirm warranty coverage and to explore whether an $8,000 reserve account in the Fire Department could partially fund the purchase; Chief Ham agreed to bring requested financial detail and warranty information back for the next meeting. No formal motion to purchase was made at the Feb. 4 meeting; the Select Board deferred a final decision to allow review of funding sources and warranty terms.
Next steps: the Fire Chief will provide detailed funding sources, warranty language, and a recommendation for vendor and payment plan at the following week’s meeting.
