Palm Coast will be getting two new fire trucks in the coming weeks, and might get a third next spring. The purchase of the third truck has not yet been formally approved by the City Council, but council members didn't voice objections during a City Council workshop Sept.
Council members will vote at a future City Council meeting on whether to buy the $259,678 truck.
The two trucks the city has already purchased and that will soon be delivered will be used at Palm Coast Fire Station 25 — the main station at 1250 Belle Terre Parkway — and at Fire Station 23 at 5150 Belle Terre Parkway. Both of those trucks cost $256,678.
Beadle traveled to the South Dakota manufacturing plant that is building the two trucks earlier this month.
“We did the final inspection on those two trucks. We’re just waiting for them to come to Florida,” Beadle said. “We should have them in the station probably within the next month or so. … We’re very impressed and very happy with the two trucks we just went up and saw.”
The third truck, if the council decides to buy it, will be used at the Indian Trails station to replace Engine 21, which the city will keep but move into a backup position, Beadle said. Backup fire trucks are used when all of the frontline trucks are out on calls, or are being repaired.
The two trucks that will soon be delivered and the proposed third truck are all built on a commercial chassis, like those used for long-haul trucking. Buying commercial chassis trucks, rather than custom-built fire trucks, saves the city about $200,000 per truck — bids for custom trucks ranged from $424,301 to $472,921 — but the commercial trucks last about half as long as custom trucks for daily frontline work, Beadle said.