Fire chief outlines aging fleet, gear shortfalls and $125,677 sustainment need

The Marion Fire Chief delivered a state‑of‑department report describing equipment, staffing and readiness gaps and the costs of bringing the department toward current standards. The chief told the council the city’s ISO insurance rating is currently 5, and that recent reporting to the state had been updated after several years of missing entries.

He summarized the department’s most pressing needs: an aging vehicle fleet (the oldest apparatus is 42 years old, well beyond the NFPA recommended maximum of about 25 years), personal protective equipment (PPE) past recommended replacement cycles (many sets older than 15 years with NFPA guidance to retire after 10), and SCBA units approaching or beyond their service life. The chief said basic sustainment to maintain current operations — including replacing some equipment and meeting annual inspection requirements — would total about $125,677 in his estimate.

The chief described a potential countywide grant for SCBA replacement: an initial buy‑in of roughly $3,500 and a 5% match that could together access about $100,000 of equipment across participating departments. He urged the council to consider joining a regional purchase to standardize interoperable air packs and lower per‑agency cost.

Councilmembers asked for clarification about annual sustainment versus one‑time capital costs and requested staff provide more detailed budget figures and timing for possible equipment purchases. The chief said he will work with staff to refine estimates and explore the regional SCBA grant and other funding sources.

Next steps: staff and the chief will provide the council a more detailed capital plan and cost timeline, and will report back on eligibility and buy‑in requirements for the regional SCBA grant.