In Arnold, firefighters and officials are facing a significant challenge as they strive to replace their 30-year-old engine. While a collector has taken an old fire truck off New Kensington’s hands, the Arnold fire department is in a bind. Rick Rayburg, the city’s community development director, reveals that Arnold has $225,000 set aside from federal grant funding for a new truck. However, based on five recent price quotes, a truck is expected to cost between $800,000 and $1 million.

Grant Application and Rejection

The fire department applied for a $525,000 to $530,000 grant from the Assistance to Firefighters Grants program under the Federal Emergency Management Agency. They made it to the final round but were rejected due to the program running out of money. They plan to try again, as Chief Eric Gartley explains. Gartley also mentions that the department believed the city would seek formal bids simultaneously with seeking prices from manufacturers, but this did not happen.“They don’t have the money to pay for it,” Rayburg said. “We don’t have the funding in place to buy a fire truck.” Mayor Shannon Santucci was unable to explain why bids were not sought. Formal bids are required to buy a truck, and the price quotes solicited by the department were not sufficient.

Funding Details and Constraints

Arnold’s money for the new truck comes from various sources. It includes $110,000 from CDBG fiscal year 2022, $75,000 from 2023, and $40,000 from 2024. This total of $225,000 must be spent by March 2026, as Rayburg states. The city is not in a financial position to come up with or borrow the additional money needed. Mayor Santucci expresses her wish to provide the fire department with the truck they want but emphasizes the financial constraints.Covid relief funds that could have been used were instead spent on police overtime, according to fire department spokesman Chris O’Leath. With time passing, the cost of a truck will only increase. O’Leath mentions that there will be a minimum $80,000 increase next year due to new emissions systems.

Time and Options

Time is not on the side of the Arnold fire department. Manufacturers have stated that it would take three years for a new truck to arrive. With no clear plan on how to proceed, Gartley says the department will discuss with city officials to determine their next steps. Another option could be to buy a used truck, possibly 10 years old, which the city can afford.Arnold’s 1994 HME is its only engine and one of the department’s three vehicles. It is fully operational, but it is 30 years old, and parts are becoming harder to find. When the department gets a new engine, the HME will be kept as a reserve backup truck. It would have little value if sold or traded in.“The older equipment doesn’t have any value to them,” Gartley said.Brian C. Rittmeyer is a TribLive reporter covering news in New Kensington, Arnold, and Plum. A Pittsburgh native and graduate of Penn State University’s Schreyer Honors College, Brian has been with the Trib since December 2000. He can be reached at brittmeyer@triblive.com.