Portland will buy a new firetruck

Portland Fire Department will be getting a new fire engine.

Portland Board of Works awarded a contract to Hoosier Fire for a new engine to replace one that is two decades old at its meeting Thursday morning.

Portland Fire Chief Mike Weitzel presented a summary sheet outlining how many of the city’s preferred specifications were met by each of the four bids opened at the last board of works meeting.

Weitzel said the low bid of $590,900, submitted by Herb Fire for a Sutphen brand engine, was inferior to the city’s preferred specifications in 77 categories. Some of those included a shorter parts and labor warranty, below expected rear axle weight limit and a variety of compartment locations. The second lowest bid, $617,488 from Hoosier Fire for a Smeal engine, was only inferior to specifications in one category.

The board voted to award the contract to Hoosier Fire because it met significantly more of the department’s preferred specifications.

The engine will still have to be outfitted by Hoosier Fire, and is expected to be delivered to the city in about a year.

Board of works members Bill Gibson, Jerry Leonhard and Mayor Randy Geesaman also voted to make a $30.78 sewage adjustment for Valentin Lopez after verifying a leak.