Tecumseh Fire and Rescue will continue upgrading its lifesaving equipment.
Town Councillors on Tuesday night approved a report recommending replacing one of the fire service's pumper trucks, known as Rescue 2, with a new tanker pumper mounted on a Freightliner chassis.
A public procurement process was necessary as Town bylaws require it for items costing $500,000 or more. The new truck will come from Dependable Emergency Vehicles, which submitted a quote for $834,403.
In the report, Tecumseh Fire cited cost concerns when considering replacing Rescue 2 with a custom-made vehicle.
"Recent market conditions have seen apparatus costs and delivery times increase significantly over the past few years," read the report submitted to Council. "The typical practice would be to purchase a custom-built apparatus to replace the current Rescue 2. However, to help reduce the impact of costs and delivery times, Community Safety has made the decision to source a replacement truck based on a commercially manufactured chassis rather than a custom-built unit."
The truck will be paid for with the Town's Lifecycle Fire Apparatus Reserve.
The new vehicle is expected to be delivered by fall 2027.
