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After a couple of tries and a split vote by fire commissioners, the Spokane Valley Fire Department has decided to buy a new pumper-rescue truck.
Due to legal concerns, the commissioners voted 3-2 to go with KME Fire Apparatus of Pennsylvania, which agreed to sell the truck for $417,915. – nearly $40,000 lower than the next lowest bid.
At least one fire commissioner and some administrators had hoped to purchase a model built by Pierce Manufacturing, which would have been in line with much of the department’s fleet. Spokane Valley Fire also has several vehicles manufactured by Seagrave, which had the highest bid of $522,327.
According to Chief Mike Thompson, since all the responders met the minimum requirements put for in the bid request, the department was legally obligated to go with the lowest price.
“The attorney says we’ve got to go with the low bidder,” he said. “Or we can reject all the bids and go back and start over.”
That was an option that didn’t sit well with Commissioner Joe Dawson.
“I have concerns over having three different types of vehicle, but we have to be cognizant of the law,” Dawson said.
It was mentioned that KME is an “unknown” to the department. After checking with a Salem, Ore., fire department that uses the KME trucks, it was determined that officials there were noncommittal, at best.
Larry Rider, deputy fire chief, said that the trucks were all pretty much the same beneath the paint and body styles.
“If you take off the body, it’s the same vehicle underneath,” he said, likening the trucks to the difference between a Chevrolet and GMC. “It’s just fit and finish.”
The fire department went out for bids twice on the truck. Last month, the first solicitation only yielded one bid from Seagrave for $541,008. The department had budged $480,000, which was expected to buy the truck as well as equip it.
Dawson said it only made sense to go with the KME truck.
“I’m really averse to going out to bid again,” he said. “Some of these companies might not bid again and just say, ‘The heck with you…’”
Board Commissioner Bill Anderson voted with Monte Nesbitt against the motion.
“I like Pierce myself,” Anderson said.
Delivery of the new truck is expected later this year.
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By
Mike Huffman
