Surrey city council has awarded a contract of $10,174,572.80 to Safetek Emergency Vehicles Ltd. to supply five fire trucks for the city’s fleet.
That’s two single-axle pumper fire trucks and three single-axle pumper rescue fire trucks, with a spending limit set at $11,040,585.10.
Council voteed on this Monday night. In a corporate report to council, Fire Chief Larry Thomas explained that “as part of the Fire Equipment Reserve Fund in the 2024 Capital Reserve Plan, the Fire Service has identified the requirement to add one pumper fire truck to the fire fleet to improve service provision and replace three pumper rescue fire trucks and one pumper fire truck that are fully depreciated and at the end of their economic life.”
The trucks are expected to be in service in 2027, with all current trucks remaining in service in an effort to keep up with population growth.
“With the two-year lag in the pandemic the fire truck vendors are experiencing staff shortages and increase in demand right now for fire truck purchases across North America,” Deputy Fire Chief Jason Cairney told council. “So we’re seeing that in the delivery timelines and the cost as well.”
Also on Monday night, council approved a city staff recommendation to buy 9278 151A St. as part of a larger land assembly for the future relocation of Firehall No. 6, which is currently at 9039 and 9049 152 Street.
“The property is an 800 m² rectangular shaped parcel improved with a single-family dwelling, constructed circa 1980,” according to a corporate report. “Fire Services has identified a need for a larger firehall servicing the area of Firehall No. 6, as the current firehall is in need of significant renovations and has limited space for training. The property on which the current firehall is located is too small to accommodate any expansion of the firehall due to the anticipated growth in the Fleetwood neighbourhood.”