M.D. delays decision on desired BRFA firetruck replacement schedule

The M.D. of Bonnyville will wait to commit to a Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority recommended replacement schedule for pumper and tanker trucks, while also reviewing old agreements with the BRFA that may be out of date. 

At the last M.D. council meeting on August 24, the M.D. made a motion to postpone a decision on committing to replacing pumper trucks every 15 years and tanker trucks every 20 years until February. 

In that time, the M.D. will also review its agreements with the BRFA, some of which they believe could be out of date. 

A motion to go ahead with the 15-year and 20-year replacement schedule was defeated at the council table. 

While this replacement guideline has not been reached, firetruck purchases continue to be approved by the M.D., with the BRFA getting the go ahead to move to tender in April on the purchase of five trucks to come in the next three years at an estimated cost of $2.9 million. 

Two trucks were also purchased in early 2021. 

In February 2021, the M.D. defeated a motion to replace fire apparatus on this 15-year schedule.

At a May 26 BRFA board meeting, a motion was passed to replace pumpers at 15 years and tankers at 20 years to take to the M.D. meeting. 

“I don’t see the rush, we can wait for Option 1,” said councillor Josh Crick during the meeting, referencing the motion that was eventually made. “There’s no panic, we’ve already ordered five trucks.” 

Councillor Ben Fadeyiw said he would welcome a review as well. 

“Some of the concerns I’ve had in the past was with MOUs with neighbouring municipalities with the use of our equipment on there, and I would love to see that captured in the agreements, and some of these things haven’t been looked at since the late 1990s, so it would be great to do an overview on everything,” he said during the meeting. 

Councillor Dana Swigart said the delay is “frustrating.” 

“I don’t think we want to keep delaying this. We can wait as long as you want, but no matter how long you wait, it is my opinion that a 15-year cycle for pumpers is what you want and 20-years for tankers isn’t going to change in a year or two. It’s not going to sway my opinion on that one,” he said at the meeting. 

The Town of Bonnyville, a partner in the BRFA, abides by the 15-year replacement schedule. 

Reports, best practices 

There is no fixed legislation on when fire trucks need to be replaced, but there are recommendations from the National Fire Protection Association and Fire Underwriters Survey. 

The Behr Report, which reviewed BRFA operations and equipment, was published in January 2021.  

The NFPA and FUS both recommend using equipment for 15-years and then placing these trucks in reserve for the next five years, primarily for the use of major fires or when front-line apparatus break down. 

The BRFA does not retain a complement of reserve status equipment. They do retain the latest piece of apparatus that was replaced. This allows a replacement piece of apparatus be put in service to replace a frontline apparatus out of service for extended periods, the study reads. 

“They commissioned an official report a couple of years ago that came out and suggested that the BRFA was doing a good job on the replacement. And that 15 years is the industry best practice,” BRFA fire chief Dan Heney told Lakeland Connect. 

“What the BRFA has been doing historically is planning to replace trucks at 15 years. And that way, if we sell them at 15 years, we get way better value than if we keep them for 20,” he said, referencing that the value these trucks carry at 15 years of use is much greater than 20 years. 

“They’re asking the questions around it. That’s their right. And that’s their responsibility to make sure that they’re getting best value for the dollars that are spent.” 

Plus, not every community in Alberta uses this replacement schedule.

The cost of acquiring trucks is also going up rapidly. 

While before COVID, there was an increase of 5 to 6 per cent year by year, the cost in 2021 jumped 15 per cent, said Heney, and the increase for this year will be determined soon when the tenders are released for the purchase of five M.D. trucks and one Town truck. 

The hope is to have two replacement trucks for M.D. stations in 2023, and three for 2024, while the Town’s truck would also come in at 2024. 

The bulk purchase allows for cost savings, said Heney. 

The discussion is expected to back to the M.D. Committee of the Whole on February 16, 2023.