City Spending $3.8M To Replace ‘Aging’ Fire Trucks

The El Paso City Council has approved the purchase of seven new fire trucks for the El Paso Fire Department.

Fire Chief Otto Drozd went before city representatives during Tuesday’s meeting to talk about his “aging” fleet of emergency equipment.

“Some of these trucks are approaching 20 years old,” Drozd said. “Others are 22 or 23 years old.”

According to city documents, the city will buy three “pumper” trucks from Hall-Mark Fire Apparatus LLC in Van Alstyne, Texas for a price totaling $1,287,260. One “quint” fire truck will be purchased from Lubbock company Daco Fire Equipment for $638,548, and the remaining three trucks will come from Houston-based Siddons-Martin Emergency group at a cost of $1,879,310.

The price for all seven trucks totals $3,805,118.

City Manager Joyce Wilson said the city is taking out a short-term bank loan to purchase the equipment.

Local government watchdog Lisa Turner questioned the loan before City Council on Tuesday.

“If we have to replace equipment, then we have to replace equipment,” Turner said before adding that she didn’t understand why the city would go to a bank rather than dip into the city’s vehicle fund.

Wilson replied that bank loans are common place when it comes to major vehicle purchases, like fire trucks and buses.

“We do it all the time,” Wilson told Turner.

Mayor John Cook pointed out that the vehicle fund is typically used for city vehicles that are used for longer than five years.

The plan to buy new fire trucks was brought before City Council during this summer’s budget hearings.

Tuesday’s vote was unanimous with all city representatives in attendance.