Plans for new fire truck under review
By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — A new fire truck for the Presque Isle Fire Department that garnered City Council’s approval during the regular monthly meeting on June 3 came up for discussion at Monday’s session as councilors considered ways to address budget concerns as a result of the state’s reduction in revenue sharing.
Earlier this month, Chief Darrell White provided City Manager Jim Bennett and councilors with a memo explaining the need for a new truck and how it would actually replace two vehicles: a 1988 engine and a 1994 ambulance currently being utilized as the rescue truck.
“The big issue here is taking two trucks that do two different jobs and putting it into one truck. If we go with bid specs as proposed, we could go out to bid – get everything back to look at in 30-45 days, then it would be about 12 months to build,” said City Manager Jim Bennett.
Bennett said the trucks have been inspected by Maine Military Authority, with city officials being informed it would cost more money than the trucks are worth to pass inspection.
“They basically laughed at us,” noted White.
Councilor Craig Green said other communities buy used and questioned why the city couldn’t do likewise. White said smaller communities respond to fewer calls and therefore used equipment works for them, while the PIFD’s trucks have a larger call volume and see more action, making a used vehicle unsuitable to meet Presque Isle’s needs.
“For smaller communities, it can work – not so much for the number of times that vehicle will go in and out the door for us, covering accidents, fire calls. That truck rolls 14-16 times a month, while smaller departments see that amount in a year,” said White.
Following discussion, councilors authorized Bennett and White to pursue bids on a new truck.
But as councilors looked for ways to address the anticipated budget shortfall on Monday, Green again questioned whether a used truck might not be a temporary option – one that would save money for now, with a new truck considered at a later date.
“I’m a big supporter of the fire department but I see other communities buy used fire trucks. I’m not saying we don’t need a new truck, but could we save capital by buying a used pumper at a lesser cost than what we’re looking at – maybe down the road sell it and buy a newer truck. I think we could do a lot cheaper than proposed,” said Green, with Councilor Pete Hallowell agreeing.
Green said the city’s old ladder truck was put to use in another community. White said that town “put $100,000 into it and it’s now sitting on a farm.”
“It wouldn’t pass inspection. They got about two and a half years out of it,” explained White. “You’re looking at around $150,000 on a used lot.”
Bennett said buying used the city would be “looking at eight to 10 years, then we’d be back in the same cycle.”
“We’re better off spending now. In the long run, we’d pay more” by buying used, said Bennett.
Green asked what a used pumper would cost. White said anywhere from $100,000 to $300,000, while a new one would runabout $500,000.
“The truck we’re looking at would be specifically built for Presque Isle and the tools we carry. We carry 1,000 gallons because we leave the city and go in the country, most are 500-gallontanks,” said White. “Can it be done (buying used), absolutely. Would we be buying others’ problems, possibly.”
Green said he’d “rather do extra maintenance and have a used truck as opposed to losing a firefighter,” given the city’s financial circumstances and the need to cut additional funds from the municipal budget. He suggested researching government surplus auctions where he’s seen such equipment “go for $10,000.”
“I’d rather do this than lose jobs,” said Green.
Bennett said he’d “rather see you (council) make a good decision for a long time, rather than future councils go ‘why did the previous council do this?’”
“I’ve been in a community that tried refurbished police cars. It was a disaster,” said Bennett. “I’d rather have the decision made on a plow truck – take longer to plow when a truck is down – rather than a fire truck,” said Bennett.
Council will continue discussion on the fire truck at a future meeting.
