This from Dennis McGuire, Jr;
Kankakee, Illinois is looking to buy a new engine.
Kankakee Fire Department is seeking bids for a new fire engine
Posts Tagged Kankakee Fire Department
Excerpts from the daily-journal.com:
The Kankakee City Council unanimously approved the $2.3-million purchase of a Pierce 100′ aerial for the Kankakee Fire Department. It will replace a 1998 truck. The city will likely not take delivery for three to four years.
The council’s budget committee is expected to settle on its payment option at Monday’s committee meeting. A perk for paying for the truck out of cash reserves is that a pre-payment option would earn the city about a $200,000 discount, reducing the vehicle’s cost to $2.1 million.
Whatever the payment mode, there is no question the price is high. The fire department had anticipated receiving at least two bids for the truck, but Pierce was the only company to bid. The expected bidding was in the $2-million range.
The chief said the current 1998 truck is simply nearing the end of its useful life. For the past 10 or so years, costly maintenance has been needed to keep the ladder truck certified and there is fear the truck will soon be impossible to keep in service, as needed parts are becoming far more scarce due to the truck’s age. Testing for the truck’s pump and ladder continually becomes more difficult to pass.
The city’s 50-member fire department also has two pumpers; a refurbished 2005 and a 2022.
Once the new ladder truck arrives, the thought is the existing truck would be kept in service as a reserve truck. Its fate once it becomes decertified is not known at this point.
thanks Dennis
New engine for Kankakee FD
Mar 29
From the Pierce Flickr site:
Pierce, City of Kankakee Fire Department, IL, 36629-1
Pierce composite
thanks Danny
This from Eric Haak:
Here are some images from the scene of MABAS Division 7’s 2nd Alarm in Momence on Sunday morning. The fire was in a 150 x 300 manufacturing plant that had a truss roof. The plant produced freeze-dried vegetable, fruit, and herb ingredients.
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
Excerpts from the daily-journal.com:
Kankakee Fire Chief Damon Schuldt joined the Milford Fire Protection District in October 1984 starting his journey as a firefighter and paramedic. The journey led him to the Bradley department in September 1989, then to the Kankakee in December 1990, where he retired Friday as the department’s chief.
He was appointed the interim chief in May 2017 and then officially became the department’s 19th chief in August 2017.
He met with Mayor-elect Chris Curtis earlier this week and was informed he would be replaced as chief. Curtis has since announced his choice for fire chief will be Kankakee Fire Capt. Bryan LaRoche.
Schuldt said he thought about retiring last winter since he had reached 30 years of service but decided to stay on as the COVID-19 pandemic lingered.
Now there will be time for Schuldt and his wife, Gayle, to work on their collection of classic vehicles, travel and spend time with their two sons and daughter.
Looking back over the past four years as chief, Schuldt said he was able to get most of his five-year plan in place.
“We were able to purchase two much-needed ambulances, including both being the first-four-wheel drive ambulances in the department’s history,” he said. “We also secured two staff vehicles — one all-wheel drive Explorer for shift commanders and a car for the fire prevention bureau. We recently ordered a new pumper with great assistance from our apparatus committee, and laid the groundwork for the refurbishment of an engine.
“I strived to stand up for my department and at times had to go up against some aldermen to accomplish that.”
Helping the department get an ISO 1 rating for the city is another achievement he is proud to have obtained during his tenure.
In October 2020 he became one of 1,400 fire chiefs to achieve the Chief Fire Officer designation through the Center for Public Safety Excellence Commission on Professional Credentialing.
As he looked back over the past four years, he said he tried his best guiding the department during his tenure.
thanks Dennis
Excerpts from the daily-journal.com:
Officials with the Kankakee Fire Department say they are in dire need of a new pumper, but the department will have to wait a few months to purchase the new truck.
Efforts to approve the immediate purchase of a new pumper for $557,787 fell short of the necessary vote at the Kankakee City Council meeting on Tuesday. Normally, purchases of more than $20,000 need to go out for bid by city ordinance, but they can also be approved by a vote of two-thirds of the council members. After much debate among council members and a presentation by Fire Chief Damon Schuldt, the measure failed by an 8-6 vote, which is 57 percent.
The department was using a procurement service cooperative that helps to make government purchases more efficient. The chief said the coop does some of the legwork that a bidding process would do.
Mayor Chasity Wells-Armstrong said there are exceptions to the bidding process that are allowed with the two-thirds vote, and the fire department pumper truck purchase falls into that category.
Schuldt said the current truck is a 2005 model and has more than 140,000 miles. It required a $20,000 repair earlier this year, is in need of a radiator repair and is leaking oil.
Initially, the motion was for the purchase of the new pumper and also have the current truck sent back to the manufacturer to be refurbished for an additional $299,000. The refurbishment would take at least 18 months due to a backlog, and payment would be made at that time.
The motion was amended to just vote on the purchase of a new truck and consider the refurbishment at a later time. With the vote failing, the purchase of the new truck will now have to go out for bid. No time frame for that process was discussed.
Kankakee FD squad for sale
Jun 14
Found on Govdeals.com:
1986 Ford Walkin Cargo Body
Auction Ends6/15/20 3:55 PM ET
FD photo
FD photo
thanks Dennis
Found at govdeals.com:
2008 Ford F-450 SD Regular Cab 2WD DRW
Auction Ends6/15/20 3:40 PM ET
FD photo
FD photo
FD photo
thanks Dennis
Excerpts from the daily-journal.com:
Kankakee Fire Chief Damon Schuldt was set to acquire a new ambulance for the fire department last week, however at least several members of the 14-member Kankakee City Council had no idea this purchase was about to take place since it was not brought to any committee to OK the expense.
At last week’s council meeting, Schuldt went over the process of seeking demonstration ambulances, which could be purchased at a lesser cost. He was recommending the purchase of a $167,379 ambulance from Alexis Fire Equipment Co.
The council members were not disputing the need for a new ambulance, but noted such a costly purchase needs to travel through the appropriate committees so aldermen are aware of what is taking place and what financial commitments are being made. Schuldt had discussed the need for a new ambulance at the committee level on at least a few occasions, but not the specifics of the Alexis ambulance. The matter was pulled back, and Schuldt said he would bring the information to the two committees for approval. The matter could come back to the council for vote in June.
Schuldt explained he did not send out bids because he was seeking demo models that would allow for a less expensive vehicle as opposed to bidding out specific requirements for a Kankakee ambulance. He received five proposals from ambulance providers. The costs ranged from the $167,379 vehicle up to the most expensive at about $245,000.
The new ambulance would replace an 11-year-old vehicle that is no longer reliable. The department also operates with a 2017 ambulance. The newer ambulance will be paid off this year.
thanks Dennis
