The Cariboo Regional District (CRD) is looking to replace an engine for approximately C$545,000 for the Bouchie Lake (B.C., Canada) Volunteer Fire Department and has launched an alternative approval process (AAP) to do so.

According to an FAQ page on its website, “one of the Bouchie Lake Volunteer Fire Department’s fire trucks is due for replacement in 2022 in order to meet certification requirements. The CRD thinks the best purchasing option is through a 10-year debt-financing model and needs permission to enter into debt financing arrangements that exceed five years in term.”

The apparatus will cost approximately C$545,000. If adopted, the bylaw authorizes the borrowing of up to C$550,000 to be repaid over 10 years, the website notes.

“Traditionally, the CRD has replaced fire trucks through five-year capital leases,” the district says. “By financing these purchases instead, with 10-year equipment loans issued by the Municipal Finance Authority (MFA), the required payments can be spread over a greater period. This will decrease short-term cash requirements and lessen the need for tax increases or borrowing to fund a future truck purchase.

“Financing the truck purchase with 5-year equipment loan requires total debt servicing payments of approximately C$328,613 over the five years in the current 2022-2026 Five Year Financial plan. Financing the purchase with 10-year debt financing would require debt servicing payments of C$168,617 over the same five years in the current 2022-2026 Five Year Financial Plan.”

If at least 10% (184) submit an Elector Response Form, the district would purchase the truck through the five-year financing model.

More information about the fire truck replacement project–and to vote by the July 5 deadline–click here.

There’s good news and bad news for fans of local Danville sports teams that are on the cusp of a championship. The good: Your team is about to win the title, hooray! The bad: The ensuing championship parade will be without the customary fire trucks until the price of diesel fuel drops.

According to a report in dailyitem.com, borough fire officials said that it’s become too expensive to include the apparatus in parades with fuel prices climbing upward of $6 per gallon. The trucks only get about five miles per gallon.

The trucks had been leading the parade for every championship team in every sport Danville has, if requested. It’s especially bad news for the local girls lacrosse team, which just won the District 4/6 Class 2A title, the report says.

Officials say each of the four fire companies in the borough fire department receives an allocation of $4,500 a year from the borough, which isn’t strictly for fuel.

The fire companies still plan to participate in the Memorial Day Parade though, the report says.

Mountain View Fire has temporarily closed its Fire Station 8 at 400 Bonanza Drive in Erie due to damage caused by expansive soil beneath the building and surrounding areas, a Facebook post reads.

The heaving soil has caused significant damage to the concrete, plumbing, and drain systems of the station. Fire and EMS apparatus from Lafayette, North Metro, and Mountain View’s Station 6 are providing service to south Erie while Station 8 is closed.

Ground water and storm runoff has saturated the framing and flooring of parts of the station, potentially causing a mold issue. An industrial hygienist has taken samples and is evaluating them for hazards. If the situation can be mitigated, the crews will be moved back into the station until the main station repair can begin later this summer.

The station repairs will involve major repairs to the foundation, and surrounding driveway, porches, and utilities that serve the building. The station will be closed from four to six months for the repairs.

The district is looking to find alternate accommodations for the crew and their engine in the south Erie area, including purchasing a mobile home to use as temporary housing.

The city of Smiley will receive a donated 2008 Pierce pumper from Victoria County via Helping Hands—a Texas A&M Forest Service program, reports gonzalesinquirer.com. The move will save the city upward of $25,000.

All the paperwork has already been sent to the Forest Service, city officials say.

The city was looking at a different truck—a 32-year-old apparatus with a lot of issues—that would have cost between $20,000 to $25,000. The 2008 pumper, though, is gratis. Smiley officials are hopeful to receive the pumper in the next two weeks.

Officials say there will be no charge for Smiley to register and title the pumper as it’s an exempt governmental entity.

Officials say the well-maintained truck had been in service up until recently at the Victoria County Fire Department, which plans to send some crew members to Smiley to train the pumper’s new owners.

The only flaw on the pumper is it has a problem with its rotating spotlight, something with which Smiley is not concerned.

Helping Hands helps donations of lightly used fire equipment, apparatus, and other items get to departments in need throughout the state while providing liability relief to the donor, the report says. Since 1997, Helping Hands has received more than $40.5 million in donated equipment.