One of Castlegar’s fire engines turns 25 this fall.
Plans are underway for its replacement with council authorizing staff to make the purchase order.
Castlegar Fire Department Chief Sam Lattanzio says the new unit will replace both a 1999 rescue vehicle and the 1994 engine:
“This truck will also have multipurpose capabilities. We have a 20 year old rescue truck as well, and we needed to consider that replacement in the near future. So, this will have that capability as well”
He notes that a succession plan can buy them some time with their aging equipment:
“You can apply for extensions, like we’ll need to do on our current engine, so long as you have a plan in place”
An extension is important, says the Chief, as the construction of a new engine will take time:
“These things don’t just come off the truck lot, per se. You can get a standard one, but what we’re ordering is very specific and will probably take up to a year to construct. So we won’t see it until late 2019 or early 2020.”
The total cost is just over 800-thousand dollars.