The Ferndale Fire Department is ready to replace a nearly three-decades-old fire engine with a new one that costs more than a half-million dollars. Fire Chief Kevin Sullivan got approval from the City Council on Monday for the department to purchase a new Pierce Velocity fire engine for about $566,000.
Sullivan said it is time to replace a 27-year-old Seagraves fire truck, one of five pumper trucks the department has in its fleet.
"Our sales guy thinks we should be able to sell it to a smaller community for about $10,000," Sullivan said. "It's been a backup truck for us for years."
The department's fleet of pumper trucks is aging. Other fire trucks in service were built in 1996, 2002 and 2009.
Sullivan said the city bought an aerial platform pumper truck about 5 years ago that cost $965,000, but two-thirds of the cost was covered by a federal grant.
"Typically, our trucks will last from 10 to 20 years," said Ferndale Fire Marshal Brian Batten. "The average life of a fire truck (nationwide) is about seven years."
But there are usually small cities or towns -- and sometime collectors -- willing to buy fire engines that no longer meet the requirements for average size cities.
In a memo to City Council members this month, Sullivan said his department needs a fifth pumper truck to keep in reserve to guarantee a timely response in all fire and other emergencies, such as odors of natural gas and downed electrical lines. Ferndale also provides fire service to neighboring Royal Oak Township and Pleasant Ridge, which those communities pay for.
"Ferndale is unique in that we have a railway in our city causing duplicate efforts on both the east and west side of Ferndale," Sullivan said in the memo. "We strive to keep to keep two pumper (trucks) on either side of the tracks for service continuity."