Fire Chief Wants Plan For Trucks

Atha Seeks Rolling Purchases Of New Engines

By Dan Craft

Posted: November 28, 2009 at 4:19 a.m.

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SPRINGDALE — Fire Chief Duane Atha remembers the first time he got behind the wheel of the bright yellow fire engine in 1994.

He remembers it as he watches that same truck pull out of Station No. 1 each day.

Brand new when Atha first drove it, the engine and another one purchased that year are still in daily service. Atha wants to pull both off the road, but doesn’t have new fire engines to replace them.

“They’re still dependable trucks, but daily use takes a toll over so many years,” Atha said. “They’ve reached an age where they ought to be designated to backup status.”

Several more new fire engines arrived in 1998, and a couple as recently as 2006, but Atha never knows more than a few months ahead of time whether annual budgets will include money for new trucks, each of which cost between $150,000 and $300,000. He’d like to put fire engine purchases on a rolling plan, where one new fire engine every three years would be guaranteed.

That’s not feasible, given the cost of a fire engine and other budgetary priorities, said Wyman Morgan, city finance director.

“Fire trucks are a big-ticket item, and finances pretty much have to dictate when that happens,” Morgan said. “Unlike cars or pickups, where we can replace quite a few at reasonable cost, the fire equipment is a major purchase each time.”

Other financial considerations include major equipment for other city departments and other Fire Department capital expenses, Morgan said.

“One year, it might be a fire truck, but the next it might be tractors for the Parks Department or a new jail for the Police Department,” he said. “I know the chief would like to relocate a couple of stations, but there’s going to have to be a decision about whether buying land for a station site or buying a new fire truck is more important.”

Reserve trucks don’t run daily, but can be called upon whenever an active fire engine is down for maintenance or repair, Atha said.

The only fire engine in reserve is a 1985 model that doesn’t have the capacity or features of the 1994 models, he said. The newer trucks can pump faster and carry more water and equipment, he said.

“It’s a good old truck that I’m sure a lot of volunteer departments could put to good use, but it’s not up to the demands of today’s city firefighting, even on a limited basis,” he said.

Selling the old reserve truck could help offset the cost of a new fire engine, he said.

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