Next year’s Allegan Fire District budget will begin a long-term focus on saving for future truck purchases.
Fire district chair Jon Cook, speaking to Allegan city council members at their Monday, Dec. 11, said, “The biggest issue with our budget for next year is we always have the equipment fund to consider.”
He said the fire district has typically saved $40,000 annually in that fund to save up for or defray the cost of new major fire equipment purchases. In the current year’s budget, the fire district board opted to reduce that amount to $20,000 to help balance the budget.
“The board approved for next year and going forward we’ll put aside $80,000 annually,” Cook said. “We felt we needed to put more away so don’t have to bond (for equipment). Especially if we need a new aerial, we’d be able to put down half or more of the cost.”
An aerial is a fire engine with a ladder; the Allegan Fire District’s aerial is from 1991. To replace the nearly three-decades-old truck, it will likely cost approximately $1 million.
“That will be coming down at some point in the future,” Cook said.
He credited fire Chief Nick Brink for making the needs for equipment replacement clear.
“Nick is coming up on his one-year anniversary as chief,” Cook said. “He has a comprehensive approach to replacing our equipment.”
Cook said the department’s newest vehicle, a rescue pumper was delivered last month. Another pumper is from 2008. The department’s command vehicle is a 2007.
Brink said, “Our backup pumper is a 1995. We have tankers from 1985 and 1996. Think we have jeeps”—used to get into hard-to-reach spots in rural areas such as the Allegan State Game Area—“from 1952. A 1985 pickup.
“Our equipment is very aged.”
Cook said fire district financed $150,000 to purchase the newest truck, for which it will make $32,000 payments for five years, at a 2.9 percent interest rate.
He noted the department is awaiting answers on several grant requests, one of which would help it purchase a small rescue boat.
Cook also said the department won a $180,000 FEMA grant to replace its 29 self-contained breathing apparatus units along with air tanks for each and a new filling station. It had a 5 percent match.
He also said the department had replaced some of its exterior lights with LED fixtures in addition to replacing interior lights with LED fixtures.
“Another thing we’re keeping an eye on is the roof at the city station,” Cook said of the building built in 1963. “We did a roof replacement on the office area about five or six years ago for $26,000, but we’re going to have to do a complete roof job on the bay section.
“We’re also trying to budget to replace the garage door openers” in addition to the building’s generator, whose motor runs but generates no electricity. “We’re struggling to look at how to replace that. We met with Consumers Energy today. Looks like the current one was a 60,000-watt generator. We might only need something in the area of a 32,000-watt.”
Total expenditures will be $462,000.
Cook said the department hadn’t had any offers for the 1986 pumper and 1996 rescue vehicle it is trying to sell.
“The budget is really dependent on selling that and any other surplus equipment. So we’re going to really try to move this stuff,” he said.
Council members unanimously approved the budget. Allegan Township board members approved the budget at their Dec. 4 meeting. Both municipalities fund the fire district.
Meeting cancelled
Council members also voted to cancel the regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 26, due to its proximity to the Christmas holiday.
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