Mayor Jon Mitchell Accelerates Purchase of Fire Trucks to Lock in Lower Prices

New Bedford, Massachusetts – Mayor Jon Mitchell has requested funding from the City Council to pay the costs of purchasing and equipping two pumper trucks for the New Bedford Fire Department. The trucks would allow the City to retire older trucks in the Fire Department’s fleet.

“In today’s difficult inflationary environment, city government has had to adapt and find new ways to save money, just as residents are doing with their own households,” said Mayor Jon Mitchell. “I appreciate the efforts of our financial management team and Chief Scott Kruger to ensure our firefighters have the tools they need to protect the public while holding down costs.”

The acquisition of new trucks at a cost of $1,705,504 was already planned as a part of the City’s Capital Improvement Plan, but the acceleration of the truck purchases to the current fiscal year (FY23) will mitigate anticipated inflation-related cost increases by the manufacturer. The City will still take delivery of the new vehicles in FY2024 and FY2026 as previously planned.

Interim CFO Michael Gagne stressed the opportunity to save taxpayer dollars. “There is a nationwide problem of ordering, manufacturing, and delivery of emergency vehicles,” he said. “If we can provide an approved loan order in November, we will be locked in at the quoted costs of present pricing, and this will be held through the manufacturing and delivery to the city,” said Gagne.

“If this procurement is approved, the Department will be in the best position we’ve ever been in with regards to our pumpers,” said Fire Chief Scott Kruger.