By Bill Laitner
Detroit Free Press

ROYAL OAK, Mich. — Two years ago, Royal Oak's new fire chief faced the worry of many a car and truck owner: a lemon.

Two lemons, in fact. They were matching fire engines — and hadn't been cheap. The 2002 models cost $340,000 apiece.

This month, Chief Wil White has a holiday gift for Royal Oak. The manufacturer, Florida-based E-One Inc., has agreed to take back the lemons and build two new fire engines. They will be delivered this spring — free of charge. Because the price of the engines, also known as pumpers, has risen, that saves the city nearly $1 million.

"It took some negotiation, but they stepped up and took responsibility," White said.

Overall, White and the city were so impressed by the resolution, they ordered nearly $2 million in other equipment from the same company, including a 100-foot ladder truck and three more pumpers.

It followed a year of White's negotiations with the manufacturer, said Royal Oak City Manager Tom Hoover.

"He was stern," threatening to tell other chiefs around Michigan of his displeasure, Hoover said.

"We recognized that the firefighters had lost confidence in the vehicles, so we thought it best to just get them out of there," said Dan Little, vice president of sales for the company.

For years, firefighters had wrestled with problems. At key moments, the trucks wouldn't start or pump water. So the city resorted to responding to every fire with a backup engine.

Once the five new pumpers arrive, however, Royal Oak can gain fleet standardization, which allows firefighters and mechanics to train on and easily switch between vehicles, said Royal Oak Assistant Chief John O'Connell.

Royal Oak's lemons also were haunted by electronic gizmos that went kaput.

The new engines, at the chief's request, will be low tech, with old-style gear that's more reliable and easier to fix.

Keeping things simple also looked good to Hazel Park. When it received a Homeland Security grant to help buy two new fire engines, the tab was a modest $300,000 apiece, Chief Raymond DeWalt said.

"We don't have all the bells and whistles" found on costlier engines," he said. "But I'd rather have extra hoses and new nozzles."

Copyright 2007 Detroit Free Press
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News