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Council approves new rescue boat trailer after safety concerns; item under 2026 CIP
Summary
Norristown council approved Resolution 26‑64 to buy a replacement rescue boat trailer after staff flagged safety issues with the 14‑year‑old unit; the new trailer is quoted at $28,905.90 and is included in the 2026 CIP, council was told.
The municipal council on Aug. 5 approved Resolution 26‑64 authorizing purchase of a rescue boat trailer to replace a 14‑year‑old trailer staff said is creating safety hazards and losing equipment while towed.
“It's 14 years old,” the fire chief told council, noting the current trailer has no lighting, requires firefighters to manually lower boats from an upper deck and has produced incidents of equipment, including boat motors, falling off while towing. Staff said the replacement trailer holds two inflatable boats, secures motors on the front, includes lighting for operations in low light and addresses mechanical limitations on the existing unit. The quoted purchase price was $28,905.90 and staff said the purchase is part of the department’s approved 2026 capital improvement plan and falls under budgeted amounts.
Councilors asked whether the trailer could be repaired; the chief said repairability was uncertain and that prior fixes have not addressed the underlying design and safety issues. Councilor Dustin Queenan asked whether staff had provided the competing bids; the chief said three price quotes were obtained and the lowest bid came from a CoStar vendor. Queenan voted No on the final roll call; other members voted in favor and the president declared the motion passed.
The council’s approval authorizes staff to move forward with the purchase; staff indicated they will return with procurement details and a purchase resolution before final payment. No additional financing or exact delivery timeline was specified during the discussion.
