Discussion continues on fire engine purchase in Napoleon

During a committee meeting in February, Bowen outlined that, based on the customizations recommended by the department, the estimate for a Pierce engine was $1.49 million and a Sutphen engine was nearly $1.29 million, although Bowen had said he feels the Pierce engine price could be lowered to $1.335 million and the Sutphen engine to $1.17 million with cuts. In February, the timeline for production for a custom Sutphen engine would be ready in 23-28 months, while a Pierce engine would be three-and-a-half years.

However, on Monday, Bowen said he recently learned Pierce’s delivery estimate was extended to 49-52 months and the terms of the quote have changed.

“(It) takes us out over four years on getting an engine delivered,” he said. “One of the other things they put in there is (this is) a persistent inflammatory environment.

“From the time of order to what they call the evaluation period, which is 14 months prior to delivery, if the cost of the truck goes up, they will eat the first 5%,” he continued. “Anything over that they can bill to us, and that’s according to the producer price index.”

Bowen said, previously, the price on the engine was locked in once the order was placed, but this is no longer the case and it’s possible Sutphen will also be implementing such a change.

During the February meeting, Bowen noted Ridgeville Township ordered a similar truck two years ago and it cost $800,000, while Archbold ordered one a year prior to that for approximately $625,000, so it’s difficult to predict what that cost will be several years into the future.

Much of the discussion centered on the customizations being requested on the engine compared to a stock engine, which was quoted from Sutphen at $937,000 at the February meeting.

Bowen said the stock option does not include all of the items the department considers a minimum standard such as front suction; foam system; EMS compartment; scene lighting; and all weather mirror and headlights. Due to staffing levels, Bowen said the EMS compartment would be stocked for advanced life support (ALS) functions.

“There are times when we have two ambulances out and we get a car accident,” Bowen said. “They’d be able to respond and render care with the engine in that case, so that’s why we’re doing an ALS-equipped engine.”

Bowen added the equipment itself will be utilized from 804, which is currently used as a backup.

“It’s more apt that the engine is going to need the equipment because we’ve been on multiple car accidents where it’s just an engine and a squad,” he said. “We can divide the crews, but we can’t divide the equipment that’s in the ambulance, or we can pull the equipment off the engine at this point then and treat until we get a transport unit there. Right now, we’re carrying very basic equipment on that, no medications.”

The city has budgeted $250,000 for a down payment on the engine, and Bowen presented several options regarding financing the remainder of the cost, as well as a potential leasing program. Bowen added a potential donor has expressed interest in contributing to the fire engine, but that has not been finalized, nor is an amount available at this time.

Overall, City Manager J. Andrew Small and committee members Robert Weitzel and Jordan McBride requested to review an itemized list of what each of the customizations costs to add to the engine, and Bowen will request that breakdown from the companies.

“I think we’re spending too much money,” Small said.

Weitzel questioned if, instead of customizing the EMS compartment in the engine, a separate auxiliary vehicle could be used to carry the ALS equipment to scenes if needed.

Bowen said he felt an additional separate vehicle would likely be more expensive in the long run and noted it’s common there are only three firefighters on the engine at one time, so this would be reduced to two if the third was to drive the separate vehicle.

Freedom, Napoleon and Harrison townships, Henry County South Joint Ambulance District (Flatrock Township) and the Village of Florida contract with the City of Napoleon for fire and EMS services, and a percentage of the department’s expenses are paid by each of those entities each year as calculated by a formula. Representatives of the entities are invited to attend these committee meetings as expenses, revenues and call volumes are discussed.

Part of Bowen’s presentation included projections of the additional cost the purchase of a new fire engine would be for each of those entities, based on the various funding scenarios.

The Henry County South Joint Ambulance District’s contract is for EMS services only for Flatrock Township north of the river, and Director Scott Buddelmeyer questioned the district’s portion of the projected costs.

“My question is, what am I going to tell my board when they say, ‘Why are we helping pay for a fire truck?’” he asked. “Because we don’t need you to have a fire truck for our contract. I certainly respect that you need a fire truck ... I’m saying for our contract, you don’t have to have a fire truck.”

Bowen said, with the EMS compartment for ALS equipment, the engine will have everything that the ambulance has, with the exception of the ability to transfer.

“If they’re coming back from a car accident, and there is a call in Flatrock Township, they’re going to respond immediately and provide care,” Bowen said. “It’s going to enhance response times to that, as opposed to leaving out of the west end of our district and coming back to the station and going out there.

“It’s going to have everything on it that they will be able to provide ALS care, they will be able to do CPR, they’ll give medications, they’ll be able to intubate people off of it,” he continued. “It’s just the nature we’re in with the staffing we have that it may be a fire truck that shows up to an EMS call.”

No action was taken by the committee, which will meet again April 28.