Sterling approves purchase of new $2M firetruck with aerial ladder

STERLING — The Sterling City Council approved the purchase of a new $2 million firetruck Monday.

The decision to waive the bid process and accept a proposal from Jefferson Fire and Safety for the purchase of a customized Rosenbauer King Cobra firetruck with a 101-foot articulating aerial ladder came after a series of reports on the state of the Sterling Fire Department’s apparatus and vehicles.

Sterling Deputy Fire Chief David Northcutt said the new truck is needed to replace Truck/Tower 4, the department’s only truck with an aerial ladder. He said it will take 18 to 24 months to get the truck once the order is submitted due to new Environmental Protection Agency requirements on emissions.

On Aug. 5, 2021, the EPA launched a three-year plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants from heavy-duty trucks through a progressive series of rules. The Clean Trucks Plan was completed in March with the signing of the final two rules focusing on greenhouse gases for heavy-duty engines and emissions standards for light- and medium-duty vehicles.

Supply chain issues during the COVID-19 pandemic also contributed to a backlog of apparatus orders that have increased wait times for these vehicles.

The SFD has spent over $400,000 trying to fix several of its vehicles with “severe operational issues,” according to a report given by interim Fire Chief Forrest Reeder in October 2024. During that report, Reeder said that due to repairs, Truck/Tower 4 had “been in service less than 100 days in the less than three years” the department has had the vehicle.

Truck/Tower 4 was bought in May 2021 for $319,000. Its first significant repair occurred a little over a year later, in August 2022, at a cost of $9,200, with other substantial repairs following only a year later. The truck has cost the department more than $200,000 in repairs since its purchase.

According to Northcutt, the new fire truck will be built by a single manufacturer, eliminating the need to send it to multiple vendors for repairs, and also would include improved safety features – such as roll protection and electronic stabilization – that the current truck does not possess. Truck/Tower 4 was manufactured by KME Fire Apparatus, which does not have a recognized local vendor.

“Thank you for the support and allowing us to put together the idea,” Northcutt said. “Hopefully, this will be something that will be with us for 20 to 30 years and serve us well.”

To help offset the cost of the new truck, the SFD plans to sell Truck/Tower 4 and one of its fire engines once the new aerial truck arrives. The fire department could also save an additional $50,000 if it can use its current emissions motor, but Northcutt said that is not guaranteed.

The city had several payment options to choose from and elected to go with the 100% pre-payment option that provides a credit of $111,204, making the total cost $1,946,843.

City Manager Scott Schumard said during the March 3 City Council meeting that there is adequate funding in the city’s capital fund from previous savings, and the purchase would not affect currently planned road repair expenditures.