Westfir council approves $2,700 to buy two custom trailers for mobile fire-suppression tanks

The Westfir City Council on Monday approved adding $2,700 to the month’s expenditure sheet to buy two custom trailers that will carry mobile water tanks for fire prevention and response.

"I would like to make a motion to, to fund the trailer purchases and, for the $2,700," the Chair said before a second and a roll-call vote. The roll call recorded affirmative votes for Mayor Watson, Councilor Huey, Councilor Cheatham and Councilor Morricade; the motion carried.

Council discussion centered on why new, custom-built trailers are needed. The Chair said the city initially planned to buy used trailers to save money but concluded that used units rarely met structural requirements (capacity near 3,000 pounds), often required costly modification and posed winter storage problems. "The custom built trailers would be best in structural integrity, storage, safety, and mobility," the Chair said.

The Chair told the council the vendor’s base price was previously $1,200 per trailer and that material- and tariff-driven costs added $150 per trailer. At that revised price two trailers total $2,700. The Chair said the vendor would likely need three to four weeks to build both trailers once the city gave the go-ahead.

An anonymous community member has offered to purchase one trailer on the city’s behalf, the Chair said, reducing the city’s out-of-pocket requirement. Councilors said funds previously allocated for water tanks remain in place and that the highway fund and the general fund will be used to cover the city’s share of the equipment costs.

The Chair also outlined operational plans: the trailers will allow staged, point-of-use placement at authorized prescribed-burn locations and facilitate demonstrations with partners such as the U.S. Forest Service. The council did not amend the purchase terms; it voted to add the expenditure to the monthly sheet and authorize staff to proceed with procurement and the donation transaction.