The trucks in the picture are not the same as the approved for purchase in the article. (Facebook/ Nipawin Fire)

By Ben Tompkins

Town Council

Fire rescue truck purchase approved in Nipawin

Oct 26, 2021 | 5:00 PM

The Town of Nipawin approved the purchase of an ITB Medium Duty Fire Rescue Body on a 2023 Freightliner M2-106 Crew Cab Chassis, last night at their monthly council meeting.

The anticipated delivery time for the truck is late August of next year, as the truck still has to be assembled. The entirety of the purchase is set to cost $339,195, which is actually under the council’s original budget of $400,000.

According to Barry Elliot, Chief Administrative Officer for the Town of Nipawin, this has been an ongoing discussion for council and after finding a great price, along with the continued decreasing abilities of their current truck, the time was now.

“The new rescue truck is certainly important to the fire services here in Nipawin, our surrounding communities of which we partner and our mutual aid support to any other communities as well,” Elliot told northeastNOW. “The existing rescue truck is certainly past its prime and is not fully meeting the needs of the department any longer, so this was the time to do it. It is a very significant purchase for the community and for the region and we look forward to it meeting the needs of the department for quite a number of years.”

Elliot said these decreasing abilities largely applied to the size of the truck and the ever-changing equipment needs of firefighters.

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“The new rescue truck is larger than the current, which allows us to make sure that all of the necessary gear is kept on the truck and is readily available when it’s needed. Changes in fire services have sometimes demanded larger or additional equipment, so we found that the existing truck was essentially overloaded for what it was originally intended, hence it was time to get a new truck,” he said.

Elliot also said despite the financial load this truck brings in its purchase, council made sure the purchase was necessary and to get the best deal they could on a top-notch machine.

“With a financial decision like this, council has to make sure that this is as palatable as it can be and that it truly does meet the needs of the community,” he added. “Council always looks to get the best bang for their buck and in this case, we feel that we definitely have. We’re fortunate that this piece of apparatus finally came under budget, so that’s encouraging and is much appreciated.”

Elliot also told northeastNOW he is pleased with how this will help keep both the community safe and those who serve it.

“The one element that is really critical to this purchase is the safety of the firefighters. With the existing truck being overloaded, it presents a concern that we didn’t want to ask the truck to do things beyond its means. It certainly is the right time to get a new truck and ensure that all the necessary requirements are met and that the firefighters are kept as safe as possible.”

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter @BenTompkins_8