Excerpts from the journal-topics.com:
Niles firefighters are waiting on two new vehicles — an ambulance and a fire engine — which, because of supply chain issues including a computer chip shortage, are not expected to arrive until the spring of 2023 and 2024 respectively.
The new advance life support (ALS) ambulance by Horton has a cost not to exceed $455,000, and is not expected to be delivered until May according to Niles Fire Chief Marty Feld. The cost is running about $100,000 more than what was initially budgeted for the vehicle. The new ambulance will replace Station 3’s 2015 front line ambulance, which has logged more than 100,000 miles and has answered about 24,000 calls.
He discussed requesting a bid waiver to obtain a chassis for the ambulance with members of the village’s finance committee at their Aug. 3 meeting, but said at the Tuesday, Aug. 23 village board meeting that the dealer was able to obtain a chassis. The contract through the Northwest Municipal Conference joint purchasing agreement, which is soon expected to be considered by village trustees, could proceed without requesting a bid waiver.
Once the new ambulance comes in, the 2015 ambulance will become a reserve unit.
The last ambulance purchased was a 2019 model assigned to Station 2. That ambulance is two feet longer than what is being ordered for Station 3.
In May of this year, the fire department ordered a Pierce Enforcer engine for Station 2, which might not be delivered until May 2024 at a cost of about $900,000.
The new engine will replace a 1992 reserve engine. Supply chain issues are more difficult for the engine than they are for the ambulance, as the engine has more components that are proving difficult to obtain.
thanks Rob
#1 by Tim on September 7, 2022 - 6:17 PM
Remember revenue is not profit. Big difference.
#2 by Mike C on September 7, 2022 - 5:35 PM
Localguy – West Chicago ordered the Aerialscope.
#3 by Localguy on September 7, 2022 - 1:50 PM
Mike, who ordered the aerialscope quint? Love me an aerialscope. Haven’t seen a quint since they started building them. Only a few pics I should say.
#4 by crabbymilton on September 7, 2022 - 11:57 AM
Most stock holders want a return on the investment. We all laugh at the Mr. Burns character but that’s pretty much blown out of proportion. Taxes and higher cost of materials do add up. If PIERCE was still independent, don’t you think they would have had to raise prices too?
#5 by Joe on September 7, 2022 - 10:23 AM
Oshkosh Corp has had revenue well over $18 BILLION for the combined last three years. Of course one of those years was down enormously. Please, lets not kid ourselves that “employees and bills” are the reason prices are what they are.
#6 by Mike on September 7, 2022 - 9:57 AM
Mike C. Yep 900k for that… that’s like 500k more then what it is actually worth.
#7 by Mabas Guy on September 7, 2022 - 6:18 AM
They have 1 spare Engine
The 1992 reserve is Quint 2
#8 by Crabbymilton on September 7, 2022 - 6:13 AM
Unfortunately, we have to rely on overseas nations for many components rather than building them over here. In fairness, PIERCE can’t build fire apparatus without these components. But they still have employees to pay and bills to pay so raising prices is really the only option other than shutting the whole works down.
#9 by Mike C on September 7, 2022 - 5:57 AM
$900,000 for a pumper is also outrageous. Especially a Pierce Enforcer which is a less expensive model. How much does a Velocity or Quantum go for these days? Apparatus in general is outrageous!
There is a local area fire protection district that just paid $1.9 million for a Seagrave Aerialscope Quint. I guess that’s just how things roll these days.
#10 by Mike on September 7, 2022 - 5:23 AM
I’m still trying to process 455,000 for an ambulance. That’s absolutely outrageous.
#11 by Michael m on September 6, 2022 - 10:41 PM
Isn’t the current Engine 2 the newer of the two frontline engines that Niles has? I though engine 2 was a 2019 Dash CF. Maybe they will move Engine 2 to Engine 3. The current engine 3 which I believe is a 2015 then moves to reserve and the 92 gets disposed of. I though they had a 2013 Dash CF in reserve. I guess they got rid of the 2001 and kept the 92 for some reason. Maybe they want two reserve engines, which is what the 13 and 15 Dash CF’s will most likely be once this new engine gets delivered.