Kennewick accepts VW‑settlement grant to pursue a hybrid electric fire engine

The Kennewick City Council voted unanimously March 17 to accept a Washington State Department of Ecology award funded through the Volkswagen settlement to offset the purchase of a hybrid electric fire engine.

Deputy Chief Jake Van Horn told the council the city has been awarded up to $1,500,000 in grant funding to go toward the purchase of a Pierce Volterra engine equipped with a parallel electric drive system. Van Horn said the Volterra is designed to operate on electric power for routine calls, with a conventional engine available for extended emergency operations.

Van Horn described operational benefits including reduced maintenance and out‑of‑service time; he also summarized the procurement plan: Kennewick would convert one of three Pierce engines already on order to the Volterra model. Van Horn said the total cost of the vehicle is roughly $2,300,000, leaving an estimated local share of about $800,000 after the grant. He also said the Volterra comes with a 12‑year warranty that includes 100 percent battery replacement, and that technician training is included in the purchase price.

Council members asked about battery life and replacement costs (Van Horn said a 12‑year warranty and replacement today would cost about $115,000), local maintenance and training (training will send two technicians for roughly a month and is included in the purchase price), and the need to decommission and cut the frame of an older apparatus. Van Horn said local Pierce service providers have committed to reliability support and that council approval to accept the grant moves the city to the next phase while retaining an "off ramp" if the Volterra proves unsuitable.

A motion to accept the grant award passed unanimously. The council did not take final delivery or procurement action at this meeting; staff said additional approval steps and hands‑on evaluation (site visits to other users) would inform any final procurement decision.