Smithville Fire Chief Charlie Parker addressed the City Board of Mayor and Aldermen on Monday, March 3, at a workshop meeting held after their regular board meeting. There, Chief Parker laid out his request for the city to purchase a new firetruck, to replace the current oldest truck in the city fleet, a 2001 model referred to as Engine 2.

Parker’s reasoning for the request is for the safety of fire crews, to tackle any liability issues, and to maintain a reliable engine in the fleet. According to Chief Parker, another reason is to keep an up-to-date fleet to maintain good Insurance Service Organization (ISO) ratings within the city, keeping insurance rates low.

But Parker says that the price for the truck isn’t cheap, and will only increase the longer the city waits. “My purpose here tonight is to convince you to buy a truck. Engine 2, which is a 2001 model, came off of first line service in 2016. In 2021 it was a 20-year-old truck that reverted to reserve status, and as of next year it will be considered an antique.”

“When I think about an antique fire apparatus I think about a shiny truck in a parade or it’s in a museum. I don’t think about an antique fire truck being a first-line apparatus that is protecting our citizens of Smithville. It’s also an antique truck that my firefighters have to ride in and that also concerns me,” Chief Parker told the board.

Chief Parker is requesting the city purchase a Pierce Custom Enforcer PUC Pumper, currently priced at $1,248,449, with a prepayment discount of $130,143. If the city purchased the truck outright, the actual cost would be $1,118,306.

“Since this truck [the current firetruck] was manufactured in 2001, the firetruck manufacturers association, which sets the standard on fire apparatus, has identified 65 changes on that engine, including safety changes, emission changes, and other things from cab protection to seatbelts and airbags. That’s 65 changes in 25 years. If it were one or two it wouldn’t be a big deal, but with that many changes it could be a big safety concern,” said Chief Parker.

“In my opinion, it’s time for it to be replaced. ISO states that you should have a first line apparatus within 15 years of service. Anything else can be a reserve up to 25 years, but then it is considered an antique.”

“We have our trucks on a cycle so that when one starts going out, we start looking at the next one so that we don’t end up buying them all at once. We could keep this one as an older reserve truck, but we have to decide is having this truck as a reserve more important than the $30,000 we would get out of it? We would still have to house it, maintain it, and test it but at what point does it get to be more expensive for us if we don’t need it for a reserve,” said Chief Parker.

Another issue Chief Parker wanted the board to consider is the considerable wait time from purchase to delivery. According to Parker, as of now, a new truck would not be delivered until 37-38 months of order date, and the overall cost would not include hoses and other equipment.

While most in meeting listened to Chief Parker’s request, Mayor Josh Miller had some warnings over spending. “We spent a lot of money last year. I am not for raising taxes right now. I can’t say I am against the firetruck by any means, but I will tell you this. It’s one item. We also have to have a garbage truck. That’s about $250,000 and it can’t wait.”

“Man, I’m telling you there is fixing to come a time when we are going to have to pump the brakes. The brakes are going to have to be pumped. I’m not against. I’m just telling you the big picture,” said Mayor Miller.

If the board decides to move forward with the purchase, the city will have to determine how it wants to pay for the truck. Paying in full would save money with the discount, but lose interests on the money they currently have. Paying for the truck over time would reduce discounts, but they want to know how interest rates would offset those discounts.

Either way, Mayor Miller said the city would not have to raise property taxes to pay for the purchase should they decide to move forward.