The importance of having “extras” like snow tires added to new vehicle purchases meant the cost of three new pieces of fire department equipment jumped over the Sunshine Coast Regional District's (SCRD) contracted price.
Last spring, the SCRD awarded tenders to International Truck Body to supply command vehicles for the Roberts Creek and the Gibsons and District fire departments along with a heavy rescue truck for the Halfmoon Bay department. In reports included on the Feb. 13 committee of the whole agenda, elected officials are being asked to consider raising those contract values, originally agreed to at $868,486, by $38,875. The adjusted vehicle prices fall within the approved project budgets in all three cases.
The agenda material outlined that the Gibsons and Roberts Creek departments have taken delivery of their vehicles. Those were outfitted with snow tires, voltage protection, scene lighting capacity and wheel well liners that were not included in the original quote.
"When building fire apparatus, the fire department balances the cost of additions and upgrades with the extreme conditions in which we must operate. Our command vehicles are built so that they can operate off road, down narrow driveways and/or in the snow. There is an attempt to make these vehicles as versatile as possible so that we can get the right people and equipment to the right places, no matter the conditions," Gibsons fire chief Rob Michael told Coast Reporter via email on Feb 11.
He indicated the new command vehicle was not used on the scene of the Feb. 3 residential fire at Marine Drive and Beach Avenue. As for other equipment used at that incident which occurred during the first heavy snow event of 2025, Micheal said "chains were brought with the apparatus so they could have been put on at the scene if necessary."
Price changes handled differently
Seeking approval of a contract price change for the two vehicles post-delivery was cited as “highly unconventional” in a staff report. It was explained that occurred due to “timing/scheduling over the year-end holidays” of last year.
For the heavy rescue truck, the standard practice of issuing a change order to adjust the contract could be completed, should the committee recommend that action and the board endorse it. That vehicle, destined for Halfmoon Bay, is slated to arrive later in 2025 according to meeting agenda material.
Adjustments to equipment storage designed to reduce requirements to reach for and lift gear that can weigh up to 40 kilograms along with specialized stowage for breathing apparatus modules and a battery system to run on-scene lights and equipment are things staff recommend be added to the original design.
“These changes will improve the apparatus functionality and emergency preparedness," the report states.
