Council approved a recommendation from administration and the fire department for a contract with Battleshield Industries Ltd. for construction and delivery of a custom-designed pumper truck. The company successfully outbid three other companies for the contract with a cost proposal that was almost $57,000 less than the $449,000 that was allocated for a new pumper truck in the 2019 budget.

The fire department’s current pumper truck is now 24 years old. While it still functions, the normal working lifespan for such a vehicle is about 15 years. A recent department fleet review noted that replacement parts for the pumper truck “are becoming increasingly difficult to find”, which creates delays for repairs when something needs fixing. That also can create problems for the department when responding to some call situations.

The contract with Battleshield for a new pumper truck means the department could have some extra money available to either purchase extra equipment for the pumper truck or upgrade some of the existing equipment.