Jerome Township officials will not compare quotes between manufacturers as they consider the purchase of an aerial ladder truck.
The Board of Trustees directed Fire Chief Douglas Stewart on Tuesday to solicit a quote from Sutphen.
“I’m not interested in seeking quotes outside of that,” said Trustee Wezlynn Davis.
Over several months, township officials have heard presentations from Stewart regarding the proposed purchase of an aerial ladder truck. Based on the responses to a questionnaire completed by Sutphen and Pierce Manufacturing, Stewart recommended the township purchase from the latter.
The conversation continued in private when the trustees held a special meeting Sept. 26 for the purpose of an executive session with Stewart, Fiscal Officer Robert Caldwell and Battalion Chiefs Justin French, Jamie Adams and Eric Billingsley.
Davis said Tuesday that in a “roundtable” during the executive session, she discussed reliability, reputation and speed of service with the fire personnel.
She said that they felt Sutphen and Pierce Manufacturing both meet the standards in each area.
“It’s really, ‘Do we buy the Mercedes or do we buy the Lexus?’” Davis said.
Trustee Chair Megan Sloat said she feels the proximity of Sutphen’s headquarters to Jerome Township makes the company more favorable.
She said she feels their ability to repair trucks and get them back in service quickly “is an advantage.”
Beyond that, Davis said she is “a shop local girl.”
“It’s only natural to first go to our neighbors and our friends who live in this community,” she said.
Trustee Barry Adler, though, said “safety is an overarching concern,” adding that “there were some discussions” about the safety features that Pierce Manufacturing includes with their aerial ladder trucks.
He said, “at a minimum,” he feels the township should seek a quote from Sutphen for a ladder truck that includes the add-ons that fire personnel feel are appropriate.
Sloat and Davis agreed.
Davis said “we are going to leave it to Chief” to work with representatives from Sutphen to garner a quote for a truck that best represents the fire division’s needs.
“I’m going to make it as safe as I possibly can,” Stewart said.
While the quotes will be restricted to just one company, Stewart asked the trustees if they would like to consider two separate options: one for a truck that is already in production and one for “a truck that we would have to wait two years for” that was made to Jerome’s specifications.
Davis said she is open to soliciting both quotes.
Stewart said it will likely take until next month to receive the quotes, but he will keep the trustees updated on the process.
Township officials have never publicly, specifically referenced the cost of the vehicle from either manufacturer, aside from estimating that the purchase will be approximately $1.6 million.