City Council Authorizes New Ladder Truck

The Murrieta City Council Tuesday night authorized the city's fire department to use $600,000 in fees from developers to buy a used ladder truck.

Fire Chief Matt Shobert asked council members to allow the department to search for a 100-foot ladder truck available for purchase from another fire department. The new truck would be purchased using fees collected from developers to offset impacts that projects have on fire protection, which Shobert explained can be used to purchase equipment, but cannot be used on employee salaries or operations.

Murrieta has not purchased a truck in nearly seven years. The department currently owns a 75-foot ladder truck that is more than 10 years old and has almost 100,000 miles. Shobert said two trucks would improve the department’s ability to fight high-rise fires.

"One of the problems we've been faced with over the years, as our city has grown and developed, is larger buildings are coming to town,” said Shobert, who cited Loma Linda Medical Center as an example.

Shobert, who has served as fire chief for more than two years, added that two ladder trucks could also improve the department’s Insurance Services Office rating. The department was evaluated by ISO, an organization that provides statistical information on risk, in August and earned high marks for its dispatch center and water system, but scored low on safety with the organization recommending nine additional firefighters, two additional fire engines and one additional ladder truck. An improved ISO score could mean decreased insurance rates for Murrieta’s citizens and business owners, Shobert added.

"Having one [ladder truck] available on the north side and one [ladder truck] available on this side of town would greatly enhance the safety of our firefighters, the safety of the community, and has the true potential to enhance our ISO rating, potentially resulting in insurance savings for our citizens and business owners,” Shobert said.

Murrieta resident Jackie Fenaroli, one of two public speakers who addressed the City Council, urged council members to postpone a decision on the purchase of a ladder truck until after council members and citizens had more time to evaluate the department’s budget.

“The reason that there’s a surplus of 100-foot ladder trucks is that they’re expensive to own and operate, and many cities have decided that they can no longer afford it, nor do they have the tall buildings necessitating that big of a truck,” said Fenaroli, who suggested the city borrow Temecula’s 100-foot ladder truck if needed. 

Murrieta firefighter Dean Hale noted that fire trucks have a 10-15 year life expectancy.

"The firefighters support the chief in looking at a piece of equipment that’s used, not brand new, and get it to work on so that we have something to do the job you expect us to do,” Hale said.

In a 5-0 vote, council members permitted the department to search for and purchase a used 100-foot ladder truck.

“I don’t see a downfall here,” Councilman Alan Long said. “We’re getting things at a discount rate, we’re making our community safer and we’re putting money back into the pockets of the citizens.”

Councilwoman Kelly Bennett agreed the matter was “a no-brainer.”

“This is just an exercise in wisdom and prudence,” she said. “We don’t wait to put the citizens’ safety on the razors edge. We do what we need to do in a timely fashion.”

In other council business:

• The City Council voted against enforcing code violations as nuisances.
• Council members approved amendments to the League of California Cities’ bylaws.
• The City Council also adopted a resolution to recognize April 2013 as Volunteer Appreciation Month.