Photo courtesy of Colton McKee

By Scott Roblin

Cypress Fire

Cypress County Fire exploring options for replacing truck fleet

Sep 10, 2019 | 5:18 PM

DUNMORE, AB – As this past summer proved, Cypress County is no stranger to wildfires and the impact they can have on a region.

Dozens of trucks were used to battle the various blazes throughout the county over the past few months and now that the fire threat has been lessened, a closer look into the lifespan of the vehicles is being taken.

Last week, fire chief Kelly Meyer presented at Cypress County council his plan to update and replace fire trucks across the region.

“Just an idea of revamping the fire fleet,” said Meyer. “Our trucks are going to have to be replaced here soon. So, we’re just looking at options that we can have possible cost savings for residents of the municipality and also meet the needs of the residents.”

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The proposed plan would see a number of pumper trucks in the county replaced with wildland units, which are better suited for fighting grass fires compared to structure fires.

“Out towards Walsh, Hilda area we’re looking at more motor vehicle accidents and wildfires,” said Meyer. “So, if we can build something or find something that meets the needs for structural need and a rapid response vehicle, it would be very beneficial.”

The biggest changes would come from the Hilda, Walsh, and Seven Person stations that would all see wildland units added.

The presentation also suggested the county could purchase ‘cookie cutter model’ pumper trucks for roughly $500,000 rather than the $700,000 custom pumper trucks they’ve been buying and still have the same level of service.

Meyer said there’s no timeline for any of these changes yet and was mostly looking to get the issue on council’s radar.

“We do still have a few years left on some of our engines,” said Meyer. “Just to get the ball rolling and the presentation was just to make council aware that in time, we are going to have to replace our equipment.”

The county’s wildland vehicle has been extremely well used since it came into the fold in early 2018 and is less costly compared to the pumper trucks averaging between $260,000 and $280,000.

“The wildland vehicle has been called out pretty much to every grass fire,” said Meyer. “It’s only just a little over a year old, it has more kilometres on it than any other of our apparatuses just due to the versatility that it can go anywhere.”

The current replacement value of Cypress County’s entire fire fighting fleet is pegged at around $10.75 million, however Meyer said the changes could bring that number down by roughly $2.4 million.

Moving forward, talks are expected to continue between Meyer and the county while a decision could be made closer to budget time in December.

“Based on the feedback that I received from the presentation, they were very happy that we’re moving forward,” said Meyer. “We’re looking at trying to save money for the municipality, but still keep our level of service.”