Joliet Wants To Buy New Customized Fire Engine

JOLIET, IL - City Manager David Hales has asked the Joliet City Council to spend $586,429 to buy a brand new E-One Typhoon Fire Engine. If the council approves the measure, the new fire engine will be put at downtown's Station 1 on Clinton Street. The council memo explains $458,836 was set aside in the city's 2018 Community Development Block Grant program to purchase a new fire engine for the Joliet Fire Department. The new engine will replace Engine 1, which is a 22-year-old fire truck, built in 1996.

"Sufficient funds were not budgeted for this purchase," the city manager's memo reads, "so a budget amendment in the amount of $127,593 needs to be approved, and $127,593 of this purchase will be charged to the 2018 budget code fire department ops/equipment."

However, Hales noted in his council memo "the vehicle purchase will not result in any additional Fire Department staffing. The initial cost of the vehicle is $604,299, but if the City of Joliet prepays, we will receive a discount of $17,870. The vehicle will take approximately nine months to build."

The new fire engine would come from E-One, which is where Joliet's entire front line fleet of fire apparatus has been made. The E-One dealership services northern Illinois, northern Indiana and western Ohio, according to the city of Joliet.

"The fire department and the fleet services division are very satisfied with the product's performance, reliability, longevity and the company's support," the city memo states. "All of the city's fire apparatus are custom made to specifications that are unique to the Joliet Fire Department ... The Joliet Fire Chief (Joe Formhals) has reached out to a number of Illinois Fire Departments to inquire about their recent fire engine purchases."

According to Joliet, the city paid $477,917 back in 2013 when it purchased two 1,500 gpm pump/1,000 gallon water tank fire engines. The second engine was discounted at $439,259.

The council was provided this sampling of other new fire engine purchases around the state:

Aurora: 2017 E-One, 1,500 gpm pump/750 gallon water tank at $519,500. Aurora received a quote from E-One for $562,000 for a 2019 engine.

Elgin: 2017 E-One Typhoon, 1,500 gpm pump/530 gallon water tank $505,385

Naperville: 2017 E-One, 1,500 gpm/750 gallons of water, $578,558

Naperville: 2017 Pierce, 1,500 gpm/750 gallons of water, $619,800.

Peoria: 2016 E-One 1,250 gpm pump/500 gallon water tank, $440,000, purchased three at a time.

Rockford: 2018 E-One, 1,250 gpm pump/750 gallon water tank, $560,000

Springfield: 2016 Pierce, 1,500 gpm/750 gallon water tank, $630,000.

Images via John Ferak/Joliet Patch Editor