This from Tim Right:

There is an article that Villa Park was approved for a federal grant to help pay for a new engine that they ordered.  This was the meeting item and it was passed.  

7. Consider a Resolution Approving the Purchase of a Pierce Impel Engine for the Fire Department through the Houston-Galveston Area Council Cooperative Purchasing Program

The fire department has three fire engines (pumpers) in its fleet. Two of the three are frontline and third is the reserve. Fire engines are replaced based on mileage, hours and general maintenance. It is the fire department’s recommendation to replace fire engines every 21 years, staggered, so every 7 years a new engine is purchased. Currently, Engine 961 is 25 years old, it is a Pierce Arrow with 53,000 miles and just over 6,000 hours of engine time. Engine 961 has had numerous mechanical problems, including last year on route to an emergency when the forty gallon fuel tank fell off.

If the purchase is approved, the engine will take approximately 8 to 9 months to construct. Funds in the amount of $220,000 are available in the Equipment Replacement Fund #65.502.02.401 for this purchase. An additional $100,000 will be budgeted in the FY15-16. If the Assistance to Firefighter’s Grant is not awarded, and the Illinois State Fire Marshal does not approve an interest free loan, staff is recommending a loan from Oshkosh Capital for additional funds needed for this purchase. Staff is respectively requesting authorization to purchase a 2015 Pierce Impel fire engine from Pierce Manufacturing through Global Emergency Products in Aurora Illinois via the H-GAC Cooperative Purchasing Program at a cost not to exceed $510,000.

 

Villa Park in suburban Chicago has been awarded a $432,000 federal grant to purchase vehicles for its fire department. The grant is coming from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, part of the Department of Homeland Security.

The funding is provided through Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant program. Its aim is to improve the nation’s preparedness and ability to respond to fire emergencies. The program has awarded $321 million directly to fire departments and other emergency-responder agencies.

Tags: H-GAC Cooperative Purchasing Program, Homeland Security's Assistance to Firefighters Grant, Tim Right, Villa park Fire Department, Villa Park orders new engine