Two outdated Eddy County volunteer fire department vehicles were scheduled for replacement, according to Eddy County Fire and Rescue Chief Joshua Mack.
Eddy County Board of County Commissioners approved combined brush truck replacements for the La Huerta and Atoka Fire Departments on Dec. 7.
The new brush trucks cost $349,000, per Eddy County budget records.
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Mack said the old units were nearly 20 years old.
“The original budgeted plan was to replace the chassis on two of La Huerta’s brush trucks. We are recommending replacing the apparatus due to unforeseen issues with transitioning the old beds and extensive cost,” he wrote in a memo to commissioners.
Mack said the new brush unit replaced a 2001 Ford F-450 pickup.
BPX Fire Apparatus of Weatherford, Texas estimated cost for the new unit was $181,000.
“The body shall be designed to withstand the rigors of off-road use and wildland firefighting,” read part of the proposal.
Mack said Atoka’s new brush truck replaced a 2002 Ford F-350 pickup impacted by electrical issues over the past five years.
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In a separate memo to commissioners, he said the truck was out of service for eight weeks of this year.
“The current truck is a manual transmission and only a few members are capable of operating it,” Mack wrote.
He said Atoka worked on a custom built replacement brush for the 2023 fiscal year.
“A demo has come available of the same truck which saves the county $15,000 in purchase price and approximately one-year build time,” Mack stated in the memo.
Daco Fire Equipment of Lubbock estimated the cost of the new truck at $168,000, according to a proposal submitted by the company to Eddy County.
“This was immediately available,” said Eddy County Manager Allen Davis.
Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at [email protected] or @ArgusMichae on Twitter.
