Nearly Double or Nothing
That’s the situation Norfolk County Council found themselves in when reviewing a staff report on Tuesday.
The issue was a massive price increase on fire trucks they were looking to secure, something that didn’t sit right with Councillor Chris Van Paassen.
The truck he referred to ended up costing $1.3 million, over $500K more than what the company initially said it could do the job for when the contract was first signed.
Another fire truck required an additional $800K.
This wiggle room in the contract led to concerns about the future, and not just with fire trucks.
Van Paassen said it seemed simple to him: if you sign on the dotted line, then that’s what you are agreeing to.
Another issue of concern for Van Paassen, and a few other members of council, is the sustainability of replacing fire trucks.
Rules and regulations state that they must be replaced every 20 years.
While some fire trucks will indeed need replacement at that time, others may still be in working condition but unable to be used due to this requirement.
Councillor Doug Brunton commented on this, saying that if these million-dollar trucks are the new norm, then a closer look needs to be taken at this clause.
Brunton wasn’t alone in his thinking.
Councillor Kim Huffman shared a story about a call she received a few years ago from those in the know when the municipality was purchasing more fire trucks, expressing concerns at the time.
Norfolk County Fire Department Chief Gord Stillwell was on a virtual call for the meeting.
He said that the 20-year window is determined by a few factors, the first being insurance.
The second concern with using equipment that is two decades old is reliability and maintenance.
In the end, Councillor Linda Vandendriessche put forward a motion asking for more information from staff and to have legal brought in to look at the wiggle room in their current contracts.
As for the fire trucks in question, they will be purchased as needed, regardless of price.