Excerpts from rrstar.com:
Aldermen on Monday agreed to buy the Rockford Fire Department three new quints for $3.2 million under terms of a 4.2 percent loan. The loan will cost the city $479,529 a year for eight years.
The vehicles are expected to provide front-line response to fires, rescues, and medical emergencies for about seven years before moving to a reserve truck capacity, Rockford Fire Chief Derek Bergsten said.
“We got rid of the typical ladder trucks four years ago,” Bergsten said. “Now they’re multipurpose so they can go to any emergency.”
thanks Dennis
#1 by Big Moe on November 10, 2018 - 3:09 PM
Quints are jack of some trades and masters of none. Not a fan. If a staffed truck crew is using a quint, so be it, but thats alot of expense and wear and tear lugging around an aerial to engine calls. I’d almost rather staff one truck on each side of town and run more engines than have quints all over the place.
#2 by Michael M on November 10, 2018 - 1:10 PM
Seven years does not seem like a long time to keep a rig in frontline service, it does seem like a waste. However, at one time, back in 2011 or 2012, Rockford did have rigs that were more than 30 years old and were having issues as well. Maybe they think it is better to get new rigs every seven years opposed to every 20 and have to maintain a 20 year old rig.
If you think about it, most people do have a car that is 11 or 12 years old. Maybe if they replace rigs every 11 or 12 years that is a better replacement schedule.
#3 by Mike C on November 9, 2018 - 10:55 PM
Stop buying Pierce and purchase a quality built rig and you’ll easily get more than 7 years out of a frontline rig! What a joke! Start utilizing your tax payers money better!