A new rescue truck for Port Moody’s fire department will cost almost a half-million dollars more than originally budgeted.
On Tuesday (May 18), council approved the additional expenditure so the truck can be built and put into service by late next year or early 2023.
Fire chief Ron Coulson told council original budget estimates for the new unit didn’t anticipate surging prices for commodities like steel, supply shortages and manufacturing delays that have boosted the cost for the truck from just over $1 million to $1,507,424 as of the middle of April.
He said the new unit is a “necessary purchase” as Port Moody Fire Rescue’s existing rescue truck, originally acquired in 1997, is nearing the end of its service life.
“This will allow us to continue to serve the community for the next 25 years,” Coulson said, characterizing the rescue truck as the department’s “supplemental tool box” that transports tools such as the Jaws of Life, equipment to lift cars and help firefighters access confined spaces, as well as power saws for quick entry into buildings.
The new rescue truck would be the fourth new acquisition since the department embarked on a two-phase program in 2017 to replace some of its aging apparatus.
Last year, a new fire engine and 100-foot aerial truck were put into service at a total cost of $3,605,000.
Coulson pointed out that was about $165,000 under budget, and the new units should last until at least 2039.
The second phase of the replacement program includes the new rescue unit as well as another engine that will cost $1,518,826.
It replaces an engine that was put into service in 1999. In a report, Coulson said the department had to accelerate its acquisition from 2023 as the manufacturer of the old engine has gone out of business and replacement parts are getting hard to come by.
Coulson said the department has managed to shave approximately $120,000 from the quoted price for the rescue unit, but any delay in making the order would likely begin eating into those efficiencies. He suggested further savings might be found if the Canadian dollar continues to perform well against the U.S. dollar.
