Excerpts from the Journal-Topics.com:

The Palatine Fire Department will get a new engine, command vehicle, and diving equipment after the Palatine Village Council unanimously approved the three purchases during Monday’s (April 2) council meeting.

Station 84 currently has a 2006 engine and a 2000 reserve engine. The department wants to buy a new one and move the 2006 engine into reserve service. Three companies submitted bids. While E-One submitted the lowest bid, their proposal didn’t meet several technical specifications the village asked for and the department recommended giving the contract to Pierce, the second-lowest bidder. At $606,125, the fire department will still spend less than the $644,000 the village budgeted for the purchase.

The cost of buying the new command car and making necessary modifications would add up to exactly what the village was planning to spend: $60,000.

The council also agreed to buy a service supply system for the fire department’s rescue divers. The system takes the air from the surface and supplies it to a diver through a long hose. While the divers aren’t usually expected to spend more than 10-15 minutes under water, having unlimited supply comes in handy if they get tangled up under the surface. And, if the hose fails, the divers can fall back on an emergency air tank that has 15 minutes of air. The new system will be able to accommodate six divers in total.

thanks Ron