Iqaluit expects ‘shiny’ new fire truck’s arrival in 2027
City council approves $1.6M purchase from Manitoba producer
The Iqaluit Fire Department’s Engine 1 battles the blaze at Noble House earlier this year. The 18-year-old engine is set to be replaced by a new fire truck at a cost of $1.6 million. (File photo by Jason Sudlovenick)
Iqaluit fire Chief Solomon Tagak is eager to replace one of the city’s aging and costly fire trucks with a new engine, set to arrive in 2027.
“It is going to look a lot better, it’s going to be a lot shinier, and with our keen group that we have now, I know they’ll be working quite hard to keep it nice and shiny on a regular basis,” Tagak said at Tuesday’s city council meeting.
City councillors approved the purchase of a new fire truck at a total cost of $1.6 million.
Manitoba producer Fort Garry Fire Trucks was the sole bidder when the city issued a call for tenders.
The truck, described as a “triple combination pumper,” itself costs $1.5 million, but the city is leaving an additional $100,000 in contingency funding for additional costs that may arise while the vehicle is assembled over the next two years and delivered.
That cost is under budget from the $1.8 million the city initially set aside to make the purchase.
“I’ve consulted with the guys that I work with – especially the ones that have a lot of experience, a lot of time in the department – to make decisions on what we should have next,” Tagak said.
“The vehicle that is proposed here is going to fit in the same spot that we have our current engine.”
The city’s current pumper truck, which Tagak referred to as Engine 1 is 18 years old and requires a lot of “costly” maintenance.
“The last emergency vehicle technicians that came up were quite expensive,” Tagak said.
“The truck is still running. We’ve been able to keep it running.”
Standards set by the National Fire Protection Association, according to Tagak, state that fire trucks are typically decommissioned after 15 years.
However, they can still be used for training if maintained, which Tagak said the department intends to do.
Council didn’t need any convincing as they unanimously agreed to go ahead with the purchase.
Iqaluit’s fire department has been upgrading its vehicle fleet lately.
The city doubled the size of its ambulance fleet with two new ambulances that arrived this fall.
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