Aldermen question need for new pumper truck
Officials also wonder if other communities unduly benefit from fire equipment
Muskego — will hold off on spending nearly a half million dollars on a pumper truck for the Tess Corners Volunteer Fire Department until an ad hoc committee can be formed to consider the department request in more depth.
"Spending this amount of money in other instances is done over a longer period of time," Alderman Noah Fiedler said at last week's Common Council Committee of the Whole meeting.
However, the council did set aside money in the proposed 2010 budget for the pumper so that it can be purchased immediately if a more lengthy review indicates it is necessary.
Besides looking at the need for the pumper, the ad hoc committee will review and try to firm up the Fire Department's five- and 10-year plans for equipment replacement. It also is likely to look into whether Muskego's fire services are being overused through its mutual aid agreements with other fire departments.
Mayor John Johnson said he would like the city to know how to react to those other departments that seem ready to save money on buying equipment because Muskego is fully equipped.
In asking for the pumper, Fire Chief Carl Wojnowski said the department tries to be on a five-year equipment replacement cycle. That means that pumpers are 20 years old before they are replaced.
But the one he said needs replacing is only 18 years old, having been built in 1991.
However, it and another pumper both recently failed the pump test, he said. And the engine has other maintenance issues, Wojnowski said.
But aldermen wondered if the pumper could be fixed to be serviceable for the next couple of years so that it can make its 20-year retirement.
The city also bought another expensive fire truck last year that is both a ladder truck and a pumper. They wondered if that could be used as a replacement pumper.
If it is first on a fire scene, it could, the chief said. But it carries only a limited amount of water. It has 460 gallons instead of the 1,000 gallons that pumpers carry, he said.
The chief also noted that the department is fiscally responsible. It will actually spend $60,000 less next year than it will have by the end of this year and trimmed $118,000 from its capital budget.
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