Corning Observer, Calif.
(TNS)
In 2019 the Corning Volunteer Fire Department got its newest fire engine at a cost of just-under $500,000. Jump forward five years and the department is set to make another such purchase with the approval of the town’s City Council.
Fire Chief Tom Tomlinson presented the city council with the proposal during its Aug. 27 meeting.
Tomlinson asked the council to approve the purchase of a new Type 1 Fire Engine from Golden State Fire Apparatus/Pierce at a cost of approximately $823,398. The purchase price and Sourcewell contract includes a 100 percent prepayment discount of $84,405.
However, the city won’t see the new piece of firefighting machinery for about three years – that is how long the wait period is for the company to produce the engine from time of order.
The engine purchased in 2019, Engine 12, was financed and is now paid off. The new engine, much the same as Engine 12 in design and details, is being paid in part through the Fire Capital Replacement Fund, Tomlinson said.
“The Fire Capital Replacement Fund balance would support this purchase and a transfer in the amount of $500,000 was included in this year’s fiscal budget,” he added.
The new engine is a Pierce Type 1 engine that will be replacing the department’s 1997 KME Type 1 engine.
Tomlinson said one of the benefits to making the pre-purchase in full is that the price of fire equipment continues to rise and if the department doesn’t take advantage of the discounted price at this time, the cost to purchase an engine in three years from now may be cost prohibitive.
Like Engine 12, funds from Measure A, the voter-approved half-cent sale tax increase initiative, is financing the purchase.
The city council voted unanimously to approve the purchase.
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