Escambia Approves Purchase Of Five New Fire Vehicles; Here’s Where They Will Go.

September 17, 2021

The Escambia County Commission on Thursday approved the purchase of five new vehicles for Escambia Fire Rescue, along with four new ambulance chassis.

A $2,415,313.38 purchase from Rev Group will include a e 2022 E-One Typhoon Custom Chassis HR100 ladder truck for $1,066,660 that will be placed at the Osceola Fire Station on Massachusetts Avenue. The county is purchasing a 2022 E-One Typhoon Custom Chassis Pumper Vehicle for $657,047.84 and a 2022 E-One Typhoon Custom Chassis e-MAX Pumper Rescue Vehicle. Those apparatus will go to the McDavid and Ferry Pass fire stations.

The new fire trucks will replace old and worn out apparatus.

The BOCC approved the purchase of two 2022 Ford F-250 Crew Cab 4×4 pickup trucks at $78,636 each ($152,272 total) to replace two beach water rescue trucks that will be disposed of at auction. Two older battalion chief vehicles will be rolled down for beach water rescue, and the new trucks will go the battalion chiefs.

In 2020, Escambia County placed four new fire engines into service for just over $2 million to replace aging trucks in Molino, Ensley, Myrtle Grove and Pleasant Grove.

With that 2020 purchase, a new rescue engine replaced a 2003 truck at the Molino Fire Station, and a second rescue engine replaced a 2011 models at the Ensley Fire Station. A standard engine replaced 2004 model at the Myrtle Grove Fire Station, and a squad engine replaced a 2002 rescue engine at the Pleasant Grove Fire Station.

The commission also approved the purchase of four new Ward International ambulance chassis for $338,000 that will be part of four remounts to be completed after October 1.

Pictured: Four new fire trucks purchased by Escambia County in 2020. NorthEscambia.com file photos.

Comments

4 Responses to “Escambia Approves Purchase Of Five New Fire Vehicles; Here’s Where They Will Go.”

  1. ECVFD FF on September 18th, 2021 4:35 pm

    It’s nice to see that Escambia County Florida moving forward, meanwhile Escambia County Alabama Volunteer Fire Departments are falling apart. Each VFD receives around $18k a year to operate on. The median cost of insurance is $6,500. That leaves around $11,500 for the year. The power bill at a fire station generally runs around $200 a month, and that’s with the bare minimum usage. That leaves around $9,100 for the year. Then you have fuel costs, a water bill, some have natural gas bills, you have to pay for any repairs on rapidly aging equipment/vehicles.Firefighting equipment isn’t cheap, neither are repairs on a firefighting vehicle. There are some VFD’s that have major staffing issues, and the reason behind that is because they can’t afford up to date adequate equipment. Some of us are still using fire engines from the 70’s. I’m not bashing EC FL but fire departments in EC AL would love to have something from 2002 that’s being replaced for more modern equipment. We just simply do not have the funding, yet no one is talking about that. The fire departments in Escambia, AL. are always placed on the back burner in this county. The expectation of being able to run an adequate fire department on $18,000 is simply ridiculous. Enough ranting, congratulations ECFR on all of your monumental progress!

  2. mcrodg on September 18th, 2021 1:54 pm

    Beulah. No library. No new fire trucks. More and more $ubdivision$.

  3. Mike J. on September 17th, 2021 8:31 am

    With the growth of the Beulah area due to Navy Federal, new Beulah Middle School, new Publix, Circle K, etc., the BOCC should get new trucks at the Beulah Fire Station as well. I read a new building is on the way and that is a needed thing for sure.

  4. Citizen on September 17th, 2021 12:27 am

    It’s amazing what can happen when the IAFF negotiates where they are suppose to with receptive management such as Wes and get things brought up to the agenda through purchasing for a vote rather than mouth off on facebook and public forum and Bergosh Blog, being political and confrontational.

    I will say the union president seems to have grown some in that regard. I saw him at the podium being grateful and he seems to understand that they are not the only budgeting concern for the BOCC. I think they will also do their part in making sure the purchases are up to specs.
    Win Win