BATTLE MOUNTAIN - Lander County commissioners unanimously awarded a bid for a new fire truck for Austin to Blanchat Manufacturing.
There was $205,000 allotted as the base bid for delivery of the truck and $30,000 for the installation of ancillary equipment for a total of $235,000 which is what was budgeted for the truck for FY 2012-13.
Austin Fire Chief Roger James, who has been the chief for two years, came before commissioners at their Sept. 27 meeting to ask that the bid be awarded to Blanchat, out of Harper, Kan. Dee Helming, the fire department's secretary, was in the audience.
Blanchat will manufacture and deliver the new truck. The company was the sole bidder.
The Fast Attack/Rescue Fire Apparatus will replace two current vehicles, said Helming. The truck will serve as brush pumper/rescue rig. It will be replacing a little brush pumper and an ambulance that was retrofitted to serve as a rescue rig. Both of those vehicles are unreliable and the converted ambulance has safety issues, said Helming.
"We are all very excited to get a new fire truck," said Helming. "We haven't had any new equipment since the early 80s."
She said the new truck will be versatile and it is four-wheel drive. She said she is not sure when the new truck will be delivered.
"It manages to replace two vehicles which gives us more space in the firehouse," said Helming.
There are nine volunteers on the Austin Volunteer Fire Department. In addition to the two vehicles the new truck will be replacing, the department currently has one big truck and a brush pumper.
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