Salisbury agrees to buy three new vehicles for the fire department
Published 12:00 am Friday, October 27, 2023
A Salisbury fire engine that is identical to the ones that are being bought. Submitted/Salisbury Post.
This stock photo shows what the ladder truck will look like that Salisbury is purchasing. Submitted/Salisbury Post.
SALISBURY — During a special meeting on Oct. 25, the Salisbury City Council approved an order to buy three new vehicles for the fire department. The purchase order will consist of two engines and a ladder truck totaling $4,284,037. Pierce Fire Apparatus will be manufacturing all three vehicles after having done business with the city in the past.
According to City Manager Jim Greene, there is an expected price increase in November for these vehicles, making the need for a special meeting this month.
The two engines have 2,000-gallons-per-minute pumps, 750-gallon tanks, and can seat four firefighters each. The ladder truck has a 100-foot rear-mounted, steel aerial ladder, but no pump, tank or pre-piped waterway in order keep the cost as reasonable as possible. All three have rider safety systems that include front and side airbags, rollover protection and adequate storage space. They all have the same chassis, engines, transmissions and drivelines so that process to maintain them is less complicated. All meet the National Fire Protection Association and Environmental Protection Agency standards.
Funds were budgeted in the 2024 fiscal year to finance the vehicles once they are delivered. It will take approximately 47 months for them to arrive and Fire Chief Bob Parnell says that timeframe is “very typical in today’s market.” Finance Director Wade Furches said Pierce Fire Apparatus offered the city a $500,000 discount if they paid upfront, however, Furches advised if the city invested the adjusted price of $3,784,037 over the wait period for the trucks, the interest earned would be the same as the cost reduction at no risk.
Salisbury has been awarded a state directed grant and because of that there’s a possibility the city could use cash to pay for the vehicles instead of financing. The only thing holding this back is that the terms of the grant have not been disclosed. The current plan is to finance the vehicles when they come in, but that could change if the grant can assist in paying for them.
The three vehicles these new ones will replace are all over 20 years old.