BEACON FALLS — The town is considering three bids to purchase a new firetruck.
Taxpayers approved $850,000 for the new truck a year and a half ago.
When the town went out to bid in late spring, one bid came back too high and the others didn’t meet the town’s requirements. The town revised its request for proposals, and the same three companies submitted new bids in October, First Selectman Christopher J. Bielik said.
The Board of Selectmen hired a consultant at about $75 an hour to review the bids, Bielik said.
Beacon Hose Company No. 1 Fire Chief Brian DeGeorge said the consultant will review the results with the town Friday.
“The fire house wanted to make sure specs were done correctly so they were advertising for the truck they wanted,” Bielik said.
DeGeorge said he wanted to hire someone who had more knowledge in the field and time to review the bids.
“It’s a huge expense and we’re going to do everything we possibly can for it to be right because it’s almost a million dollar purchase. We will be living with this truck for 25 to 30 years,” DeGeorge said.
The consultant will make sure it reviews the bids in an unbiased manner, Bielik said.
The bids are each 6 inches thick and include details like how many wiper motors and square feet of compartments the vehicle will have, DeGeorge said.
“They are crazily detailed,” he said.
The new truck will be the town’s single largest purchase of the past decade, Bielik said.
“We want to do everything possible to make sure that we’re spending that money and make sure we’re not only getting the best fire truck for the money, but the right fire truck for the money,” Bielik said.
The new quint truck is designed to replace a ladder truck that was retired over a decade ago and never replaced, as well as the department’s 27-year-old Engine 1. The new truck will have a 75-foot ladder, hold 500 gallons of water, and have a four stabilizer system. The old Engine 1 will be traded in or sold.
When the town needs a ladder truck now, it must rely on mutual support from neighboring towns, Bielik said, a necessity for an average of one call a month.
DeGeorge said he hopes to pick from one of the three bids to build a custom truck. It will take eight to nine months to build.
“I’m hoping to have it before the end of 2018,” DeGeorge said.
