BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Fire Department is asking the Buffalo Common Council to approve a the purchase of a $175,000, used aerial fire truck.
However, Common Council members want some questions answered before signing off on it.
"Why are they requesting the purchase of a vehicle that's over 20 years old?" council member Mitch Nowakowski said.
They will discuss this with the fire department next Tuesday at a finance committee meeting.
"There could be valid answers, and we're looking to hear those from the fire department," Nowakowski said.
A city spokesperson says it has 12,000 miles on it, a new ladder, and will be used as a backup for when other ladders fail.
The Buffalo Fire Department is also in the process of adding nearly 20 new pieces of equipment to the fleet including:
- that used ladder truck;
- four new aerial ladder trucks;
- four ultimate terrain vehicles;
- two engines;
- four command response vehicles;
- two Dodge Rams, which will respond to opioid calls;
- and a mini-track ambulance.
Buffalo Fire Commissioner William Renaldo hopes to have before the snow arrives.
"All these vehicles we're talking about, aside from the UTV's, the purchasing process began before the November blizzard. So it was a long timeline leading up to it, it wasn't like a knee jerk reaction," Renaldo said.
The president of the Buffalo Professional Firefighters Local 282 union sent 2 On Your Side this statement in regards to the old equipment and the department trying to buy an old, aerial truck:
"They’ve ignored the front line apparatus for years. In five years this Commissioner has proactively ordered ZERO frontline fire engines and trucks. They’ve purchased one floor model fire truck. Now they’ll take delivery of a floor model engine. At an increased cost and not properly specked out to Buffalo Fire operations or appropriate for the area where it will be in service. They have zero apparatus to train the new recruits. Members are running short every shift in pickup trucks and inoperable engines. When you’re this desperate for the proper equipment any purchase is better than nothing."
-Vincent Ventresca, president of Buffalo Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 282
In addition to the equipment, a spokesperson says the City of Buffalo is still in the process of interviewing candidates for two positions: a fleet manager and an emergency services manager.
With another winter not too far away, Nowakowski wants to know when that will be filled.
"You'll see in the coming weeks I'll be asking for a formal response," he said.