The cost of a new rescue engine for the Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory will come in under the budgeted amount and with a savings.

At the Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory board meeting Tuesday, the board approved the purchase of a Smeal/Spartan “CORE” custom rescue engine as designed to replace the current 2008 Pierce Squad 13-4 for a total contract price of $672,774. The purchase will be presented to the Board of Public Works and Safety at its 10:30 a.m. meeting Friday for approval.

Fire Chief Mike Wilson said the apparatus was designed by the WWFT Equipment Replacement Committee and was awarded contract through Sourcewell. Sourcewell is an approved agency which the city has perviously used to purchase vehicles and equipment.

He said the budgeted amount for the vehicle, approved in the 2019 budget, was $750,000.

The standard base cost was $407,389.53; specified options and changes were $297,556.47; and a Sourcewell agency discount was $39,440; for a total contract price of $665,506.

Since that contract came through, an independent front suspension was added for an additional $15,868. Wilson said that was “better and safer.”

“Because of how Captain (Mike) Brubaker processes the build of the chassis first and then the build of the box, we pay for the chassis ... and save another $8,600,” Wilson said, putting the total contract price for the rescue engine through Sourcewell at $672,774. “We’re a little shy of less than $90,000 in savings.”

Mayor Joe Thallemer asked if the balance of the $672,774 was paid on delivery, which Brubaker said it was. Thallemer then asked if delivery was 420 days, and Brubaker said that also was true.

“I didn’t realize it was such an extended period of time to construct this thing,” Thallemer said.

Brubaker said the nice thing about it was, once the chassis was done, “We’ll go inspect it. At that point, we’ll pay for it. We get the $8,600 savings, and then in turn it will go from Michigan to Smeal and then the box will be built on it. When it’s done, we’ll inspect it. Once we’ve signed off on it, the remainder of the balance will be paid.”

He said the fire department had gone with Pierce for its vehicles across the board for years. When he was chief, they looked at the cost of parts that were coming up and found them to be “proprietary” and decided they had to look at something different.

They began doing their research and settled on a Spartan chassis. A huge difference is the speed of getting replacement parts is a matter of days instead of weeks, if needed.

Brubaker then explained why the engine didn’t go through the bid process.

“The main reason that it does not have to go to bid is because we are going through Sourcewell,” he said.

Board member Brandon Schmitt asked if the department has been happy with Sourcewell. Brubaker said this was the first time the fire territory used Sourcewell but so far it was going well. He also said the city engineer, street and parks departments have used Sourcewell.

Thallemer said, “Sourcewell basically are a cooperative purchasing group and they adhere to state bidding contract requirements.” He said the city has used Sourcewell many times. “They meet the requirement for bids and quotes, so that’s why we’re able to save all that time not putting a bid bond down.”

Mike Klondaris, city council representative to the board, asked if the engine would be stationed at station 3? Brubaker said it would.

The purchase was unanimously approved.

In a last piece of business, Wilson said the contractor and Right to Life representatives have been in to see him.

On Thursday, a new contractor will be at station 2 to look at the location where the Safe Haven Baby Box will be installed. Wilson said work to install the baby box may begin as early as Sunday begin. The baby box at Syracuse will be done in two weeks. A baby box is a safe way for a person to surrender their newborn without fear of criminal prosecution.