City Council approves purchase of $522,592 fire truck
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
CHIEF DARRELL WHITE, of the Presque Isle Fire Department, addressed City Council during their Sept. 4 meeting, explaining the differences between the two bids received for a new fire truck. Councilors approved the purchase of a 2014 Pierce fire apparatus, which will serve as both a pumper and be large enough to carry rescue equipment. Pictured listening to White’s presentation are, from left: Councilor Mike Chasse and City Manager Jim Bennett.
By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — The Presque Isle Fire Department will have a new fire truck in the near future, following City Council’s vote of 6-1 Sept. 4 to approve the purchase of a 2014 Pierce model vehicle. Councilor Peter Hallowell was the lone vote in opposition, noting his continued interest in buying a used unit over a new one.
City Manager Jim Bennett began the discussion, reminding councilors that $228,501 had already been set aside to be used toward the purchase.
“We have that essentially in the bank. Using some pre-payment options will save some money,” said Bennett.
Fire Chief Darrell White followed, providing councilors with an overview of their options and explaining why he preferred the Pierce truck.
“We got two bids back. We already own two Pierce trucks. They’re reliable, pretty much maintenance free and very dependable,” said the chief.
One of the biggest advantages, according to White, is the frame.
“Pierce decided several years ago to build stronger frames. They’re also easier to keep clear of wintertime salt. The others use smaller frames and no matter how you clean them, you can’t get in-between. Pierce has a heavier frame, so we can put extra equipment on the truck,” said White.
White explained that Pierce is owned by Oshkosh and is known for its pump capabilities.
“The other is a nice truck, but Pierce/Oshkosh own the patent on the pump,” said White, acknowledging Pierce’s good track record. “Pierce has over 1,000 units in fire departments across the U.S. I’ve looked at some. They’re very nice trucks with easy access to the pump. From a service standpoint, it’s a really nice feature.”
White talked about the second bid, for an E-One fire apparatus. He said E-One’s “don’t have a lot out there.”
“They’re playing catch-up with Pierce. They make a nice product but I have concerns about their pump and what we’re asking it to do. Pierce — despite wear and tear — can maintain 1,500 gallon capacity. But an E-One tends to lose capacity over time,” White said.
White said he knew the economy is bad and it might not be the “right time” to go after a new truck but other units at the firehouse are starting to deteriorate to the point they cannot be repaired. Maine Military Authority has looked at the current truck in use and, according to Bennett, advised the city it wouldn’t pass inspection and wasn’t worth investing money in repairs.
“This does a couple things. It replaces two trucks in the fleet, with the old unit serving as backup at the airport. This truck was spec’ed in the event we get larger weekly flights. This will help us provide the kind of coverage we need,” said Bennett. “If we spend the money, we’re spending for potential needs down the road.”
Bennett and White continued to discuss financing options, with Hallowell noting “if we buy used, we could pay cash.”
White said he’d sent councilors Internet links so they “could look all they want.”
“This truck was designed six years ago. You won’t find a fire/rescue — won’t find compartment space,” said White. “Can we do it (buy used), yup, but we’d be jamming it (equipment) into the truck.”
Council Chair Emily Smith asked how often the department is called to an accident and uses just the rescue vehicle. White said any time there’s an accident, the rescue unit and a fire truck respond.
“I can think of two serious accidents that ended up using the pumper — a bad scene where fire erupted,” said White.
Smith said taking two vehicles wasn’t saving the city any money. White said with the new truck, they’d only need the one vehicle to respond.
“Everything would be on that truck, including hydraulic equipment,” said White. “This is a change in operation for us. We had our concerns but with what everyone’s doing in today’s economy, I’m comfortable with this kind of change for us.”
Councilors continued to discuss their options. The breakdown for the bids were: E-One base price of $498,896, with a prepay of $13,450, left a balance of $485,446; Pierce’s base price was $522,592, with a prepay of $18,870, left a total of $503,722. Despite the Pierce unit costing more, all the councilors except Hallowell voted in favor of purchasing the Pierce truck as proposed, based on the reasons stated by Chief White.
Councilors authorized the purchase of a 2014 Pierce fire apparatus, and to have the city manager work out the desired finance package, including prepayment, with details presented during next week’s meeting.
Bennett said he’d have staff look into financing options this week, with discussion continuing Monday, Sept. 16, at Bonanza, prior to councilors’ public listening session at the Main Street eatery, which is slated to begin at 5:30 p.m.
For more information, call 760-2720.
