Centre Wellington council has given approval to order a pumper truck for the Elora Fire Department now so it will be available when council considers its budget next year.
Fire Chief Brad Patton told council in committee of the whole on June 14 that the truck “very much needs to be replaced,” and said the department would like to prepare the purchase and award the tender immediately, so the truck is actually in service by next year.
Councillor Bob Foster suggested that is going against the budget process, and he said the repairs he sees are brakes, and maybe some rust on the frame. He asked if Patton had checked the cost of those items.
Patton said he had not done that. Foster then stated, “So, you don’t know the cost.”
Patton said the truck is 21-years-old, but Foster wondered if this council should saddle the next council with a $500,000 expense.
Councillor Walt Visser argued the pumper is in the township’s five year forecast for purchase.
Patton said he is not trying to “move up” in the line for the truck, but just wants to start the process.
Treasurer Wes Snarr explained there is no money in the fire capital reserve because council removed $135,000 from it during the last year’s budget deliberations. He said council could borrow the money it needs from its own reserves and not affect its debt capacity, and get a better deal than it could from the banks.
Patton noted that the reserves had been used “for non-priority items.”
Councillor Kirk McElwain said, “I don’t want to hear that.”
Visser said, “The new council has a big job ahead.”
Patton said the impact this year on council spending would be zero.
Chief Administrative Officer Michael Wood said it is “critical” that council start the purchasing process immediately. “It can’t wait.”
He said Patton had tried a number of ways to obtain grants, but had not been successful. Wood said the truck is not only old, but has obsolete equipment on it.
Councillor Fred Morris said, “You can’t put public safety at risk with a 21-year-old vehicle.”
Foster argued, “You don’t replace a vehicle because it needs a frame and a brake job. Does it start?”
Patton replied, “Sometimes.” He added it is old, does not have modern ABS brakes, nor a roll bar, and it does not pump to the required capacity. “It won’t draft ten feet. It doesn’t pump at 50% capacity.”
Morris held out pages 64 and 65 of the agenda, which indicated the truck failed three of five tests done by E-One Carrier Emergency, of Brantford, for pressure tests that were done at the low level bridge in Elora. The agenda also noted the required repairs included:
– a master gauge leaking oil;
– transfer valve volume light not working;
– numerous vacuum leaks;
– engine overheats;
– will not pump any volume, possible transfer value;
– numerous water leaks under pump;
– tank to pump valve leaking;
– throttle cable broken and loose at pump panel;
– radiator plugged with dirt, may continue overheating; and
– numerous valves leaking, will not hold a vacuum.
Morris concluded, “What in the world would you want to use this vehicle for … if it failed three tests out of five?”
He said he would not want that pumper coming to his home when a garden hose might be more effective.
Wood then said that insurance companies base their fire insurance fees on the equipment available for local firefighters, and poorer equipment means everyone in the fire area would pay higher insurance rates.
Patton agreed, and said the current pumper “no longer meets the insurance rate.”
Visser said, “The difficulty is we’re finding out about this now.
Council then voted unanimously to proceed with the work for the new truck. Councillor Ron Hallman was absent.
Two computers
Council also agreed to accept a joint emergency preparedness (JEPP) grant of $4,179 to aid in the purchase of two lap top computers for the fire department and the necessary information technology infrastructure to enhance emergency management on-site operations.
The Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services provides the JEPP grant. The total cost of the project is $9,288.
Visser said in the last county-wide emergency exercise of May 20, there were problems with communications, and the laptops will correct that.
Foster wondered if there were just two of them at the $9,288 cost.
Patton said they are not standard computers, and will be used in the field under conditions of heat, cold, rain, snow and dust.
Foster wanted to know who would use them.
Patton said anyone from firefighters to a summer student working in the office, when they are not needed in the field.
Foster said he was hearing Patton was not sure how they would be used. Patton said one would be in the office and one with the fire service.
Council then approved accepting the grant and spending $5,108 for the computers. Only Foster was opposed.
