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Campbell River fire department to get costly new truck

The City of Campbell River is spending just under $1 million on a new rescue truck
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Fort Garry Fire Trucks will be providing the Campbell River Fire Department with a new rescue pumper truck. Pictured is a truck Fort Garry built for the fire department in Saskatoon, Sask.

Campbell River is getting a shiny new fire truck.

City council approved the $898,835 purchase at its Monday meeting.

Once the new rescue pumper arrives, it will be stationed at the No. 2 Fire Hall in Willow Point.

Clinton Crook, the city’s senior buyer, said the Campbell River Fire Department requested the truck because the existing pumper truck at No. 2 hall is aging and needs to be taken off the first line of emergency response.

“The rescue pumper is required for first line response at No. 2 Fire Hall that meets the requirements for Fire Underwriter ratings and insurance grading,” Crook said. “The current pumper rescue at No. 2 hall is beyond frontline status recommendations and will need to be moved to second line status.”

The city put out a call late last year for companies to provide the pumper truck and received three responses. All three companies, however, came back with a price that exceeded the $890,000 budget that council allocated for the purchase in its 2017 financial plan.

Winnipeg-based Fort Garry Fire Trucks, at a bid of $898,835 was the lowest priced tenderer when compared to bids from Associated Fire ($1.086 million) and Wholesale Fire and Rescue ($1.067 million).

Crook said the extra dollars required are not significant enough for council to have to alter its financial plan.

“The submitted bid amount from Fort Garry is $8,835.31 over the approved budget which is not significant enough to amend the financial plan for and still offers the city the best overall value,” Crook said.

The funds will come out of council’s Capital Lending Reserve.

The purchase of the rescue pumper comes on the heels of a refurbishment to the fire department’s 1993 ladder truck at the Willow Point Fire Hall. Council approved spending $238,846 on that project in January.

The improvements involve electrical, ladder and warning light upgrades as well as service to the vehicle’s pump and repairs to body damage sustained on the truck’s upper hose bed area.

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Fort Garry Fire Trucks will be providing the Campbell River Fire Department with a new rescue pumper truck.