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Fire chief urges staffing increase and warns ladder truck replacement will be costly
Summary
The fire representative asked for an added full-time position to meet operational safety and ISO requirements, and said the city's ladder truck is 29 years old; a new ladder truck would cost roughly $1.9M with payments starting a year after order, and delivery would take about 2–2.5 years.
The fire department representative told council that staffing and equipment are urgent priorities. He said adding a full-time position would help achieve the staffing needed for safe interior firefighting and ISO credit, explaining "This position that will give us the 4 people that we need here today when we don't have volunteers." He also said the department's ladder truck is 29 years old and in poor condition.
On vehicle costs the fire representative estimated a new ladder truck at about $1.9 million and said payments would begin one year after ordering; delivery would take roughly 2–2.5 years. He advised council that grants are unlikely to cover a ladder truck and cautioned staff to carefully vet used units for safety and maintenance history.
