TOMAHAWK – The Tomahawk Fire Department (TFD) will be getting a new fire engine within the next several years.
On Tuesday, Jan. 7, both the City of Tomahawk Finance Committee and the City of Tomahawk Common Council voted to give TFD the go-ahead to proceed with obtaining a replacement unit for Engine #3.
TFD Chief Paul Winter explained to the Finance Committee that with the current Engine #3 needing continued costly maintenance and repairs, the department about a year ago began looking into replacing the unit.
The department obtained bids from Appleton-based Pierce Manufacturing and CustomFIRE of Osceola.
Winter said Pierce’s bid came back at $1.3 million, with a wait time of 50 to 52 months. Under Pierce’s bid, between the time the order would be placed and 14 months after the truck is delivered, the company would reevaluate the cost of the truck and pass that cost on to the city.
“I just don’t think that that’s a smart or logical thing to do, because we have no idea what that adjustment might be,” Winter stated.
A $1.2 million bid, with a one- to two-year wait time, was submitted by CustomFIRE.
Winter noted that although the cost savings under the CustomFIRE bid wouldn’t be substantial, the bid did not include a clause that could potentially adjust the price, which Winter said is “significant.”
The Pierce body build would utilize welded aluminum with stainless steel hardware. Winter explained that this combination corrodes over time, and such corrosion can be seen on current TFD trucks.
Winter said CustomFIRE’s body build would exclusively use stainless steel, leading to no corrosion issues and allowing for easier repairs.
After discussion, the committee unanimously voted to give TFD the green light to place an order with CustomFIRE.
The city will make two payments to CustomFIRE – the first when the company receives the chassis at the end of the year, and the second when the truck is completed.
It was noted during the meeting that the city will likely borrow to purchase the new engine.
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