Excerpts from the journal topics.com:

At their Tuesday, Oct. 24 village board meeting, Niles trustees approved the replacement of a 1998 aerial fire truck. Because of supply chain issues, the new truck is not expected to be delivered until calendar year 2028, which is why it is being ordered now.

The purchase price for the Pierce Enforcer tractor-drawn aerial is $2,061,745.

“The standard build time for a fire aerial apparatus has been increased to 50 months, placing the village in a financially unfavorable situation,” a village memo said. Approving the purchase would lock in the price against possible future increases and would save the village nearly $249,000 by prepaying for the vehicle.

The village has funds to pay for the purchase of the new truck, but that cost is now in the fiscal year 2024 budget. Since the old truck was purchased, a decision was made to have apparatus respond as ALS (advanced life support) units. The 1998 truck has all the equipment, except for stretchers, that an ALS ambulance carries, though equipment is packed into the crew compartment which is not ideal. 

Last year, the village purchased an ALS ambulance from Foster Coach Sales at a cost not to exceed $455,000. The ambulance will replace Station 3’s 2015 frontline ambulance, which as of last year, had logged more than 100,000 miles and was dispatched to about 24,000 calls. The ambulance is expected in the first quarter of 2024. 

The village also ordered a Pierce Enforcer pumper last year for Station 2, at a cost of about $900,000, with delivery expected in September or October 2024, and will replace a 1992 reserve engine that was not designed to current ALS standards.

thanks Harry

Tags: chicagoareafire.com, New truck for the Niles Fire Department, Niles FD orders new tractor drawn aerial