Belleville city council has approved a change in plans for the replacement of fire trucks and rescue vehicles due to serious breakdowns and continuing mechanical issues.
Council approved the purchase of two stock pumper trucks for urban stations at a cost of almost $2 million plus HST from a single source without a competitive bidding process.
Originally the department planned to buy one pumper and two rescue vans, however, due to breakdowns the department now has three pumper trucks out of service with one of them out of service permanently.
Stock pumpers will be purchased because they can be delivered much faster than those purchased through the usual Request for Proposals (RFP) process.
Through the RFP system, it could take two to three years for a fire apparatus to be delivered. Through a stock single source purchase, delivery could be made in just months.
The purchase of another rescue truck will be made later this year using the RFP system.
Mayor Neil Ellis asked Fire Chief Dan Smith if his department had an Asset Management Plan in place. Smith said one was currently being developed.
“It would be good to have a plan so we can replace trucks on a regular basis before they’re so old they lose all of their value so we could at least sell them instead of getting nothing in return for them,” said Ellis.
