Baldwin has committed to spending one million dollars to buy two new fire trucks. During a called city council meeting on Wednesday, the council approved the purchase of a Quick Response Vehicle (QRV) and custom pumper truck. The total cost of the vehicles, with interest, is $1,061,666.14.
The QRV is a 2020 International 4×4 with a Class A pump. According to Baldwin Fire Chief Joe Roy, this vehicle’s purpose is to respond to fires of a smaller nature such as grass fires along GA 365, US 441, the railroad right of way, and the airport. It can also provide house fire protection until a fire engine arrives on the scene. The QRV design is smaller than a normal fire truck, which allows it to access areas other trucks can’t.
The QRV will cost the city $255,000. SPLOST 7 funds will cover $218,316 of the purchase price. The remaining $36,684 will come from Baldwin’s Public Safety Fund.
Baldwin city council members also agreed to buy a 2021 Ferrara Igniter Custom Pumper for $695,000. The council intends to finance the truck through a lease-purchase agreement with the Georgia Municipal Association. If the lease agreement is approved, interest will be added in, bringing the total cost of the truck to $806,666.14.
The lease-purchase agreement will span a period of 7 years at an annual general fund cost of $115,238.02. Baldwin’s Chief Administrative Officer Emily Woodmaster says only a percentage of that annual payment would come from the Public Safety Fund, which is funded through fines generated by the city’s school speed zone cameras. The remaining amount would have to be budgeted for each year.
Woodmaster stressed that the city council needed to understand that, going forward, all leases would have to be built into the budget and could not be removed.
Currently, Baldwin’s school speed zone cameras generate approximately $200,000 a year for the Public Safety Fund. Since April 2021, the cameras have generated $317,710.18.
Chief Roy explained to the council that both fire trucks are “basically demos” and are cheaper than brand new trucks. The council voted unanimously to approve the purchase of the QRV and authorized Woodmaster and the city attorney to pursue the lease-purchase agreement with GMA and the seller.
Once the lease-purchase agreement is finalized and approved, interest will be added to the annual payment schedule.
