A new piece of equipment will be coming to the West Liberty Fire Department.
The fire department found a used 2017 Polaris Ranger and Ziema ATV trailer online in Arizona, West Liberty Paramedic Bret Carlson said at the city council meeting Tuesday, Jan. 17.
“It’s been kept indoors its entire life,” Carlson added. “It has 197 miles on it so it’s (in excellent) condition.”
There will be a medical bed on it for when patients have to be rescued or moved from an area where an ambulance can’t get to, he added.
“It’s already outfitted with a lot of things,” Carlson said. “We just have to add minor things to it.”
Buying the ATV used is saving the fire department money and time, he added. Fire Chief Kirt Sickels and Assistant Fire Chief Tom Christensen weren’t able to attend the city council meeting because of prior commitments but asked Carlson to thank City Clerk Lee Geertz for her assistance with streamlining the process for the purchase on the fire department’s behalf, which Carlson did.
The fire department was able to provide $5,000 for the down payment of the ATV, Geertz said. The rest of the money will be coming from the Fire and Trust Agency where donations were made for equipment purchases, $5,500 in fire equipment reserve and $5,500 from the ambulance equipment reserve.
The $25,000 going out for the purchase will be put right back into the general fund, she said.
The radio equipment and lights will be added at an additional charge and a firehorn, Carlson said.
“It is a wonderful find,” Geertz added. “It’s not very often that you get the trailer and everything for that cost.”
If the fire department were to purchase the ATV brand new, the trailer would have to be purchased separately and cost more, she added.
“That’s why I’m saying it’s a great opportunity and a really wise fiscal decision because they’re able to get that trailer and that equipment,” Geertz said.
The fire department had been looking for this piece of equipment for a couple of years, she added.
The ATV is a quad cab so local law enforcement can go on the calls when the gator is needed, Carlson added.
“It will be super handy for things like the fair and that sort of thing because it will be easier to get something like this in there than in an ambulance,” West Liberty Police Chief Eric Werling said. “I’m actually jealous of their purchase.”
Mayor Ethan Anderson asked Werling if an ATV like this was on his wish list. Werling said absolutely because a vehicle like that for the police department would be super handy.
The resolution was approved by city council unanimously for the purchase of the new ATV and trailer for the fire department.
Other items covered at the city council meeting were:
• amending Title 10, Chapter 5 A-1 Agriculture District, Section 10-5-1 permitted principal uses and structures and permitted signs and waived the final reading;
• setting the date for the public hearing to consider amending the West Liberty electric utility rates for 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 7;
• approving the resolution to enter into an essential purpose loan agreement for the Rainbow Drive and Maxson Street improvement project not to exceed $2,600,000;
• and set a work session with the West Liberty Rural Trustees for presentation of proposed 28E agency agreement for 6 p.m., Feb. 13.