The current economic climate is not likely to change drastically for the better any time soon. If you are contemplating an apparatus purchase in the next several years, it might be time to think outside the box and start planning way ahead of schedule.
Gone are the glory days of having enough money in the budget to go out and buy whatever your department wants with all the bells and whistles. The thought process now should be what you really need for the coming years and whether you can save money by doing things differently.
By differently, as in whether you could consider consolidating apparatus. Can you get away with selling off or trading in a ladder truck and buying a quint? Can you sell an engine and heavy rescue and buy a rescue pumper?
Several factors have to come into play. Will these purchases affect your ISO rating? Can you afford to buy new? What is the condition of your older apparatus? Is it wiser to refurb current apparatus in your fleet or is the current state of your apparatus fleet beyond updating and heavy on the maintenance side?
Sounds like a lot to consider — and it is. If your older apparatus can still meet current NFPA 1901 standards after the refurb and you can get five-plus years more of service out of it, it might be wise to refurb.
If refurb isn’t for you, then consolidation of equipment is another option.
There are a lot of fire departments across the country not only sharing equipment by means of automatic mutual aid, but downright consolidating their operations.
In any case, the choice is yours. Maybe sharing the cost of purchasing a big dollar item like a ladder truck or fully stocked heavy rescue with neighboring fire departments, that makes it available to several close-by organizations through mutual aid, could be an option.
Another item to consider is that maybe the 15-20 year replacement of apparatus is not needed in your community. Age shouldn’t be the only factor in apparatus replacement.
The current workload, maintenance on the unit, condition of major components such as the engine, transmission, pump etc., should also be a determining factor.
If you have a great preventative maintenance program for all of your apparatus and the unit is in great shape, maybe some minor modifications are only needed to keep up with current standards.
In any case, you need to plan well in advance for all of your future apparatus replacement considerations. How you find it may also take some time.
There are still grants available out there from FEMA. If you don’t have someone in your department who is experienced at writing grant proposals, there are also private individuals as well as companies (including FireGrantsHelp.com) you can hire to help you out.
Don’t just stand on the sidelines. The time is now to start planning, especially if your needs are coming up soon.
