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LEESBURG - It's back to the drawing board for the Plain Township Fire Department committee on the purchase of a new fire truck.
Tuesday, after meeting with the Plain Township Advisory Board, the committee decided to review the bids they received and weigh purchasing a modified truck to their specifications versus purchasing a stock model. The committee had selected purchasing a truck from Danko for $157,632, but Plain Township board secretary Craig Charlton questioned that selection and presented the alternative option of purchasing a stock truck.
Danko was the highest of the bids opened at the board's Jan. 11 meeting. The other bids included RPI, $137,876; Seagrave Fire, $133,990; Roverson Fire, $146,346; and Pierce Midwest Fire and Safety, $154,688.
When asked to explain the committee's choice of Danko, fire chief Brian Haines said RPI was not chosen because of past issues with a truck the fire department bought from them. Pierce Midwest didn't provide drawings and had hinge doors, not roll-up doors. Seagrave's truck had no way to access the reel on top of the truck from the ground.
The committee's choice came down between Roverson and Danko, Haines said. Danko was selected because they worked with the committee on specifications for the truck and the company knew what they wanted. They also had seen one of Danko's trucks as Pierceton Fire Department has one.
Charlton said the lowest bidder was Seagrave and Danko was the highest. He asked if the committee looked at the trucks' warranties. Mitch Rader said the committee really didn't focus on the warranty.
Charlton said he did some investigation of his own and has issues with Danko. Danko has a one-year warranty on the truck's plumbing and five years on the truck bed. Meanwhile, he said, Seagrave and Pierce have 10-year warranties on both the plumbing and bed. "The warranty is the big issue here," said Charlton.
Charlton also compared other aspects of the trucks, including materials the trucks are made of, valves, structure, durability, wearability and where the trucks can be repaired if needed.
"A lot of things Seagrave and Pierce do are big industry standards," said Charlton.
Pierce and Seagrave also have product liability, while Danko, Charlton said, had no idea what he was talking about when he asked about their product liability.
Charlton said, "I can't honestly say I could vote for Danko because of the issues."
Rader said he wants to have the best truck but one that also will do what it is needed to be done.
Terry Eppley said the committee's goal was to have a truck that could pump 300 gallons a minute, but the ball was dropped and now the committee is looking at a truck that pumps 250 gallons a minute. Whatever the township buys, Eppley said, he wants it to be within National Fire Protection Agency guidelines. The truck from Danko is what the fire department felt would do the best job.
Charlton said if they purchase a stock truck, they can put the money down and have it within approximately 30 days. He said his job wasn't to do the firefighters' job, but "my job is to watch the tax dollars."
As long as the department doesn't get the equipment they want because of a price issue, Rader said, he was fine with looking at the other option of purchasing a stock truck instead of a truck modified to the department's wants.
Charlton said if they can justify the price, he would be OK with the Danko truck. But he said the committee needs to review the information again.
Eppley said he wants the matter to be a done deal, but will take a look again at the information Charlton presented. Haines said Seagrave may come down with their price. Eppley suggested sending the new information to the original bidders to give them another chance at it. But when Charlton said if it was fair to eliminate RPI, Eppley said it was.
"We're looking for a new recommendation if you make it, or the same one if you make that," said Dan Gast, Plain Township board member.
Charlton said in no way was he "downing" what the committee did.
Jerry Kammerer, township trustee, said, "What I am asking is, work together and get the damn thing done."
Eppley said there have been some ruffled feathers along the way, but they are making some headway so "let's git 'r done."
