Rural Fire District #3 Seeks Approval for Essential Equipment Upgrade

At Tuesday's County Commission meeting, Commissioners heard from Rural Fire Distrit #3, who submitted a request to replace its 1980 International cab and chassis, currently in service at the Brookville Station. The proposed purchase is a 2018 International 7300 4x4 cab and chassis from Custom Truck, a well-established dealer based in Kansas City, MO. The older model has become challenging to maintain due to the difficulty in finding necessary replacement parts. The Fire District has been actively seeking a new cab and chassis for the tanker truck for the past two years. However, previous opportunities fell through because the vehicles in question were sold before the board had time to meet, discuss, and secure County Commission approval. The current dealership, Custom Truck, has conceded to hold the truck until the Fire District can secure these necessary approvals. On September 25th, the board of trustees met and agreed to procure the truck, contingent on a visual inspection and test drive in Kansas City and subsequent County Commission approval. The expected purchase price for the vehicle is set to be $82,500. Rural Fire District #3 has proposed to use the Exceptions to Competitive Purchases clause in Section II of the Purchasing Policy for the purchase, citing the unavailability of used equipment and impractical situations. The plan outlines that the Fire District would utilize funds in its Special Equipment account for a down payment, and finance the remainder of the balance with First Bank Kansas. All existing equipment, including the 1100-gallon tank, pump system, and firefighting tools, would be transferred to the new chassis. Regarding the budget impact, the Fire District's Special Equipment account currently holds a balance of $162,409. A down payment of $41,250 is proposed, with the remaining balance of $41,250 to be financed through First Bank Kansas for a term of five years at a 6.25% interest rate. The annual payment of $10,000 will be paid from the new equipment line item in their department budget. The proposal for the purchase was unanimously approved by the board in a 5-0 vote.