By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Tuesday, May 10, 2016, 11:55 p.m. — The Bardstown Fire Department’s request for a new ladder truck — and plans for an additional fire truck in next year’s budget — prompted some pointed questions about the need for new trucks and their potential impact on the city’s Insurance Service Office (ISO) fire protection rating.
Fire Chief Randy Walker presented the council with a proposal to purchase a 2016 Rosenbauer Viper ladder truck for $746,398. The truck, which is currently under construction at the company’s South Dakota plant, would arrive without equipment, Walker said. The department will equip the new truck with existing hoses and other equipment from the existing ladder truck.
Councilman Francis Lydian questioned the truck specifications, and how it compares with the existing ladder truck.
Walker explained the new truck offers an increase margin of safety in the event of a rescue over the existing one. The new truck will have the same size ladder, but its weight capacity is substantially greater. The new truck will also have a greater capacity to carry and pump water for fighting fires.
The department’s 1988 Pierce Arrow ladder truck is outdated for use in rescues, though Walker said it would be useful for providing elevated water streams for firefighting purposes. Walker said he would love to keep it but the department has no room to store it.
Only two of the fire department’s six bays are tall enough for the ladder truck, and the new truck will replace the existing one, and needs its space at the fire department.
The price of the new truck is discounted because the truck is currently under construction, Walker explained. If the council delays a decision to purchase the truck, the truck could be purchased by another fire department — a delay that could cost the city up to $100,000, he said.
The city’s 2015-16 budget included $650,000 for the purchase of a fire truck that originally was intended to be a combination pumper/tanker truck. Walker previously told the council that the extra money to purchase the more expensive ladder truck will come from unspent funds in the fire department budget and the sale of the old ladder truck.
Councilman Bobby Simpson asked Walker which truck — a new ladder truck or a new pumper truck — did the fire department need the most?
Walker said the 1988 ladder truck needed to be replaced for safety and its pumping capacity. The new ladder truck will not help the city’s ISO rating because the truck replaces an existing one, he said. The new truck will respond on every call, fire and EMS, Walker said.
The city needs a new or used pumper truck to meet the recommended pumping capability recommended by the Insurance S Office for a city Bardstown’s size, he said. A request for that truck will be in the 2016-17 budget.
A motion by Lydian to table the vote on the truck was voted down in a 4-2 vote, with four votes against the motion.
Councilman Fred Hagan said that as a councilman, he put his trust in the recommendation from the fire department regarding their equipment needs. Hagan made the motion to approve the purchase of the truck. The council approved the purchase in a 4-2 vote, with Lydian and Councilwoman Kecia Copeland voting against the purchase.
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