MOOSEJAW — The Rolling Stones sang that you can’t always get what you want, but you can sometimes get what you need, a lyric the Moose Jaw Fire Department is taking to heart with its new truck purchase.
During its May 13 regular meeting, city council unanimously approved the fire department’s request to replace an existing pumper truck by purchasing a FIRE5N pumper unit worth $855,000.
To pay for the purchase, the department will use $800,000 from its equipment reserve account and $55,000 from the major equipment control account.
Fire Chief Rod Montgomery told council that administration received four responses to its request for proposals and determined that one was acceptable, which meant signing an agreement with the successful proponent.
While it will take the supplier until 2025 to build the new pumper unit, the department needs money this year to start the process, including making a deposit and paying for other deliverables, he continued. Having all the funds this year does not mean the department will spend it all in 2024.
“With the (equipment reserve) contribution available and the contribution from the control account, this will not place any extra tax burden on the citizens of Moose Jaw,” Montgomery added.
Coun. Jamey Logan said he had heard from some firefighters that the new truck wouldn’t have the same features as existing units. Specifically, they were concerned that the unit had an external pump handle instead of one in the cab, which may be great in the summer but not in the winter.
The fire department began looking at long-term sustainability and resiliency for its equipment reserve account several years ago and realized depreciation of engines 3 and 5 was a good source of funding, Montgomery said.
The new truck emulates engine 3, which has a side-mount pump. Moreover, it must last 15 years as a front-line unit and can then function as a reserve unit for another 15 years.
It’s obvious that a top-mounted pump is favourable with firefighters, which is something Swift Current and North Battleford have, but purchasing a truck with that feature would cost $1.5 million, he continued.
“In good conscience, I don’t think I can come to council to ask that. This truck will meet our needs. So, you can’t always get what you want, but you’re gonna get what you need,” Montgomery said.
Pumper trucks 1 and 2 are the primary engines the fire department uses to cover Moose Jaw and 15 Wing Airbase, while fighting rural fires “is a different animal” because only four members go out and the pump operator spends less time in the cab and more time battling the blaze, he pointed out.
While side-mounted pumps have some advantages since they’re outside the cab and easy to maintain, the new truck will be the department’s highest-rated engine and will have a comparable pump — it will have less maintenance — to those in other units, Montgomery continued.
“The motor and pump are high quality. (The new truck) will serve the community well for the next 30 years,” the fire chief added.
The next regular council meeting is Monday, May 27.
