Ithaca and its fire department are working to make the city a greener place, with department officials leading the way.
Indeed. Ithaca Fire Department Chief Tom Parsons gave a presentation at the June 1 Common Council meeting to divulge the department’s plans to replace its fleet with electric trucks.
He says that the department has been tinkering with how to meet the city’s goal of reducing emissions from its vehicles by 50% of 2001 levels by 2025, with a goal of carbon neutrality by 2030.
In the meantime, the department has been purchasing cleaner vehicles. It currently boasts three hybrid SUV vehicles and is waiting on delivery of an electric pick-up. Furthermore, the yet-to-be-built East Hill Fire Station will be fully electric, sans the emergency generator.
An all-electric fleet would certainly help the cause.
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Financial hurdles, of course, exist too. A traditional pumper costs about $750,000, while a hybrid or electric pumper costs about double that—plus another $1 million for the charging equipment and to install it into a station, Parsons says.
In 2023, the department hopes to purchase an electric-powered heavy rescues—which was set for replacement this year anyway—and two electric pumpers. That haul is estimated at $4.9 million with an expected 2024 delivery. The East Hills station is also expected to be finished in 2024.
The plan also calls for:
Grant funding for the purchases could be available, council says. See the entire meeting here:
