City to get a new firetruck

Portland Fire Department will be getting a new truck.

Portland Board of Works during a special meeting Friday approved the purchase of a new $1.2 million Ladder Tower NXT firetruck through Hoosier Fire Equipment of Greenfield.

Mike Weitzel, Portland’s fire chief, explained that the city’s current ladder truck is 26 years old and has been out of service with a mechanical problem for eight weeks. He noted that because of the age of the truck it is difficult to get replacement parts and it is unclear how long it will take to get it repaired.

The truck was already in need of replacement, he added. The mechanical problems simply moved up the timeline.

Weitzel and his staff had settled on two possible options — the Ladder Tower NXT and a Pierce X15. The Pierce is about $63,000 cheaper, while the NXT has a taller ladder, shorter truck length and can handle heavier loads.

Representatives from the fire department had looked at the Ladder Tower NXT at the Fire Department Instructors Conference this month in Indianapolis — they also had a sister vehicle on site at the fire department in Portland — and had traveled to Wisconsin to look at the Pierce X15.

Ultimately, Weitzel recommended the Ladder Tower NXT, saying it better fit the department’s needs and its shorter length made it more maneuverable. He added that the truck has the same cab and chassis as the fire engine the department purchased through Hoosier Fire Equipment two ago.

“We’re confident in their service and their abilities,” said Weitzel.

Board of works members Jerry Leonhard, Steve McIntosh and Mayor John Boggs unanimously approved the purchase as recommended. The city will pay $500,000 up front from its fire vehicle non-reverting fund with the remainder financed through Indiana Bond Bank. (The non-reverting fund currently has about $773,000 available.) The loan from the bond bank is for seven years at 2.37% interest with annual payments of about $117,000 to be split from the city’s general fund and its local option income tax (LOIT) public safety fund.

“Thank you again gentlemen,” said Weitzel. “Big weight off my shoulders.”

The special meeting was held Friday in part to save the city some money on the purchase. By buying the truck from the Fire Department Instructors Conference, the price came in at $1,199,425. Had the city waited, that number was going to increase to $1,255,991.

Ryan Emmerson of Hoosier Fire Equipment explained that a few items will be added and modifications made to the truck, as requested by the Portland department. Those are expected to take 45 to 60 days, with the truck then to be delivered to the city following final inspections. It comes with a two-year bumper-to-bumper warranty with various longer warranties on features such as drive train and hydraulics (five years), plumbing (10 years), ladder (20 years) and water tank (lifetime).

Once repaired, the city’s current ladder truck — it has a 75-foot ladder — will be put up for sale.

Weitzel also noted that he has worked with Portland clerk-treasurer Lori Phillips to develop a permanent replacement plan for the fire department’s four vehicles. In addition to the newly purchased ladder truck and the engine that is just two years old, the city has a second engine that is 13 years old and a tanker that is 21 years old.