WWFT Board Approves Replacement Vehicle For EMS Chief
Posted
Jackie Gorski-
A replacement vehicle for EMS Chief Chris Fancil was approved during the Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory Board meeting Tuesday.
The current 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe that Fancil is driving has 204,655 miles of service on the vehicle, Fire Chief Mike Wilson said. He said they looked locally and have $45,000 in the budget to look for a replacement.
Through a state bid, Wilson said they were able to find a 2020 Dodge Durango that will be able to do what Fancil needs to do in the course of duty, Wilson said.
The Dodge Durango was approved to be purchased at $36,533 from John Jones Auto Group, Salem.
Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer said he’s sure the Board of Works is going to ask why they didn’t look locally for the vehicle. For the dollar amount, Wilson said WWFT started looking at one- or two-year-old models and couldn’t find anything locally.
John Jones was recommended to WWFT by several fire and fire departments, including Syracuse Fire Department and Winona Lake Police Department, Wilson said. They are “the state supplier for these vehicles for like state police,” so they have a lot of vehicles.
Wilson said WWFT tried for a month or two to see what they could buy locally.
He said some of the vehicles, when ordered for a police package, are made for emergency responses.
Wilson said going with John Jones is the best price.
He said WWFT is going to keep the Tahoe Fancil is currently driving, so there will be radio and “some light packages” to put on the new vehicle.
The vehicle purchase will go to the Board of Works July 16.
In other business, the Fire Territory Board heard the monthly fire activity report from Assistant Chief Aaron Bolinger.
In May, Bolinger said WWFT went to over $2 million of property for structure fires and, within that $2 million, they lost $154,200.
There were 10 assists to other agencies.
For medical assists, Station 1 had 78 calls; Station 2 had 57 calls; and Station 3 had 20 calls.
In other business, the Board:
• Approved travel requests including for Zach Rumsyre, Kyle Martin and Tyler Colt to go to Elkhart for the open water SCUBA certification; Fancil and Wilson to go to Plainfield for the best practices in community risk reduction event; and Nate Iden and Brent Fifer to go to Shawnee, Kan., for the Hummingbird Sonar technician certificate.
