Kinston council authorizes Sourcewell purchase option for new fire engine up to $990,000

The Kinston City Council on April 7 authorized the city manager to obtain a contract price through Sourcewell for a new fire engine from Fire Connections Incorporated (an E‑One vendor) for an amount not to exceed $990,000.

Fire Chief Jackson told the council a committee reviewed fleet needs, maintenance costs and lead times and recommended staggering replacements rather than buying multiple trucks at once. He noted National Fire Protection Association standards “require the retirement of apparatus older than 25 years” and said the truck being replaced is a 1993 model that would be 37 years old by the expected delivery date.

Chief Jackson said using Sourcewell’s cooperative purchasing avoids duplicative engineering costs because the department can order a replica of an already‑engineered unit. He told council that authorizing the procurement now would let the city lock in the vendor price and protect against inflation through delivery.

Finance Director Goodson told council financing options are competitive and comparable to USDA rates, with past purchases supported by long financing terms.

Council members pressed on fleet readiness and recent equipment failures; Chief Jackson cited a starter failure on a 2011 frontline truck as an example of reliability risk. Council Member Hardy said the cost is high but necessary; Mayor Moore said citizens would be upset if emergency vehicles failed en route. The motion to authorize obtaining a contract price carried unanimously.

The council did not sign a final vendor contract at the meeting; Chief Jackson said the next meeting would include the vendor’s fully executed contract with exact pricing and finance allocations for budget approval.