County to Buy Rescue Vehicles
Glasscock County’s commissioners voted unanimously in a special meeting June 2 to take bids for the purchase of two rescue vehicles for the county’s volunteer fire departments. One of the units will be stationed at each of the Garden City and St. Lawrence VFD’s. The two 2005 Ford F-450’s with 6-liter diesel engines are expected to cost approximately $30,000 each, with equipment such as flat beds, pumps, motors, tanks, storage boxes, bumpers, grill guards, lights and sirens adding approximately $25,000 for each vehicle. On June 14, the commissioners authorized Russell Halfmann to place an order with a supplier in Belton for total outfitting of the trucks.
On June 2, Halfmann, representing the two VFD’s, said the rescue vehicle at the SLVFD is old and badly needs replacing, and the GCVFD doesn’t have such a vehicle at all. (see GC News, May 2004) He also stressed the importance of both VFD’s having identical equipment so that volunteers from either department can be fully familiar with and easily operate the equipment on either rescue vehicle. Ed. Note: Several vehicle wrecks during recent months have apparently brought problems with VFD equipment to the forefront and added urgency to the need to resolve them.
As commissioners had requested earlier, fire department volunteers had test-driven a county vehicle that was previously used as an ambulance, but found it to be under-powered for use as a rescue vehicle because of the weight it must carry, according to Halfmann.
Commissioners plan to move money from other funds within the county’s 2004 budget to pay for one vehicle and to earmark money for the other one in the 2005 budget. After the trucks are ordered, delivery is expected to take three to four months.
Halfmann suggested that commissioners consider replacing the county’s emergency vehicles on some sort of schedule. He said several people had mentioned the idea, and said it would keep the vehicles in better shape, and avoid having to buy two at once.
Court Accepts Paving Bid
Commissioners accepted the lone bid, from Jones Bros. Construction in the amount of $205,591, for its 2004 road-paving program. New paving totaling six miles will be done on County Roads 110 and 195 at a cost of $149,714 and C.R. 130 will get five miles of seal coating at a cost of $55,877.
Commissioner Michael Hoch explained that the county was late getting its paving out for bids this year due to County Engineer Dan Glass’s illness. Glass usually handles the formal bidding process, including specifications for paving and seal coating. Hoch said by the time he ultimately put the package together himself, other paving companies were booked up. Commissioners stressed, however, that they have been pleased with Jones Bros. past work.