The second time was the charm for Iola to purchase a new fire truck.
City Council members approved Tuesday the purchase of a Spartan truck from Feld Fire of Grain Valley, Mo., for $618,231, the lowest of three qualifying bids received.
The Spartan, which will take about a year before it’s fully equipped and in service, will replace Unit 311, the newest truck in the Iola Fire Department fleet, as the city’s “first-out” vehicle for emergency calls.
Unit 311, a Pierce E-311 model, was manufactured in 2010, not long before a government-mandated computer interface program was installed.
The upgrade has created a laundry list of ongoing problems that cropped up without a moment’s notice, making Unit 311 unreliable.
A Community Development Block Grant will fund half of the cost of the truck and any equipment, provided the price tag doesn’t exceed $690,000.
The $71,000 price difference between what was budgeted and what the new truck will cost led to a pair of separate debates among Council members.
The plan is to use that additional $71,000 to purchase additional equipment for the new truck, Interim Fire Chief Gary Kimball explained.
Councilman Ron Ballard, however, noted the city would be responsible for half of that $71,000. He encouraged the city to think twice about buying new equipment simply to replace functioning equipment the city already has.
“We weren’t even talking about equipment until this just showed up,” Ballard said. “We don’t buy new vehicles just because they’re on sale.”
Nevertheless, it’s incumbent on the city to see what equipment may need to be replaced, and what could be more costly down the road, Council members Carl Slaugh and Nancy Ford responded.
“Even though some of this may not be necessary, it’s new equipment,” Slaugh said. “We’ll get it being paid through the grant. Now is the right time to buy.”
Ford noted the city still has the right to determine later on after a full inventory of equipment at IFD determines what pieces may need be replaced.
The second point was broached by Councilman Gene Myrick, who noted two qualifying bids, while more expensive, still were within the $690,000 threshold.
Perhaps the city could go with one of the higher bids for a better truck, Myrick suggested.
