Fire department delays ambulance replacement to 2029, seeks radio upgrades and dive rescue gear

Fire department representatives told the board that an ambulance replacement slated for 2027 has been delayed to 2029 because current manufacturer lead times are three years or longer. The department framed the radio upgrade as urgent, noting that systems not migrated to Phase 2 compatibility risk being unusable after the national Phase 2 rollout.

"There was a ambulance replacement that was supposed to be in 2027 that got pushed out because, obviously, the manufacturer times are 3 plus years," the fire presenter said, and added the department plans a phased mobile-radio upgrade and some dive-rescue equipment purchases. Staff also asked the board to sign a letter of intent to get in line for long-build equipment that has lengthy production queues.

Trustees accepted the scheduling realities and discussed interim options for access and mutual aid while the ambulance procurement is delayed. The board encouraged staff to pursue grant or cooperative purchasing opportunities to mitigate higher equipment costs and long lead times.