The city of Othello will spend $637,670 to buy a new fire truck.
Mayor Shawn Logan said the new truck is what’s called a pumper, which gets most of its water supply from a fire hydrant and is primarily used to fight structure fires. The truck will be built from the chassis up, and construction will take a year to 18 months.
Othello City Council members voted April 5 to buy the truck and make a down payment of 75% of its total cost. Logan said that would earn the city a discount on the final purchase and he estimated the city would save about $10,897.
City officials have been saving for a new truck, and the city is projected to have about $600,000 in its fire equipment reserve fund by the end of 2021. City officials will have to come up with the balance, about $38,000, by the time the new truck is delivered in fall 2022. Logan said that will be part of the 2022 budget process.