Lease-purchase of $2M ladder truck approved by Superstition Fire & Medical District board

By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

A commitment and purchase order for a $2.1 million 2027 Pierce 100-foot platform ladder truck was approved recently by the Superstition Fire & Medical District Board of Directors.

The board voted 4-0 on Nov. 19 to approve the commitment. Board Director Shawn Kurian was absent.

The total cost is $2,119,720.79, according to a memo to the board from SFMD Assistant Chief Richard Mooney and Fleet Superintendent Vaughn Croshaw.

The plan is to purchase the new ladder truck with a seven-year lease agreement that includes the option to pay off the lease after two years, it states in the memo.

“We’ve been talking a lot about this ladder purchase. We’re looking at least a three-year build on that,” SFMD Fire Chief John Whitney said at the Nov. 19 meeting. “Putting in this (purchase order) tonight locks in our pricing... They’re increasing the pricing in January.”

Whitney thanked SFMD’s apparatus committee for its work in choosing the ladder truck’s specifications.

“I went to them really with the ‘Hey, $100,000 here or there really makes a difference. When you’re specing out a $2.1 million truck it’s really easy to make that a $2.2 (million) or $2.3 (million) with some projects, some gizmos and gadgets,’” he said. “They did a great job going back, sharpening their pencils, really getting down to what are the key things we need to put on that truck... So we made sure we got the right suspension, the right engine, obviously upgraded air-conditioning,” he said.

The new ladder truck will replace the current 2013 ladder truck at Station 264. The 2013 ladder truck will be moved into reserve status when the new truck arrives and is put into service. The expected build time is three years, it states in the memo.

SFMD is using Sourcewell contract No. 113021-OKC-1. An additional $20,000 was added to the quote to cover potential changes, needs or increases that may arise during the building process.

The district, which is primarily funded by property taxes, provides fire suppression, fire prevention, wildland protection, advanced life support, rescue, extrication and medical transportation services out of five fire stations in Apache Junction and Gold Canyon.

Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines, https://www.yourvalley.net/civility-checklist/.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley

rdyer@iniusa.org

Meet Richard
Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.  

Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions. 

Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.

Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.

Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.