Castlegar city council has given its blessing to a new pumper truck for the fire department, but it won’t come cheap or quickly.
The new vehicle will cost $1.64 million including taxes.
Deputy chief Nick Ahlefeld explained decisions to replace equipment are largely governed by standards developed by the Fire Underwriters Survey.
The new truck will replace a 2004 Spartan engine that will turn 20 in August 2024.
“The city needs to replace Engine 1 to remain in alignment with the requirements and minimize the risk of the city’s fire grading being reduced which would increase insurance costs for all properties in the city,” Ahlefeld wrote.
The city advertised a request for proposals and received a lone bid from Rocky Mountain Phoenix, which has several branches including one in Abbotsford. The same company provided the department with its two previous engine replacements.
The initial bid was $1.49 million plus taxes, which was reduced to $1.47 million following some negotiation and minor changes. However, only $1.4 million had been budgeted for the replacement.
The purchase is to be funded through long-term borrowing, which will require community assent through a counterpetition process. More details on that are expected in August.
Even if the community does not object, the fire department wouldn’t receive the new truck until February 2025. They would seek temporary approval from the Fire Underwriters Survey to keep the current 2004 truck in service until then, after which it would become a reserve engine for another five years and could still be used if an active engine was in for repairs. It could also be used to fight wildfires.
Ahlefeld further noted the new truck will actually replace two pieces of older apparatus, reducing the city’s carbon footprint.
