COLUSA, CA (MPG) – The Colusa City Council declined to advance a proposed aerial ladder fire truck on March 17 after no council member stepped forward to second the motion, halting the purchase and leaving the city without a plan to replace aging front-line fire equipment.
The proposal, presented by Fire Chief Logan Conley, sought approval to secure a Sourcewell contract for a ladder truck estimated between $1.5 million and $1.6 million, with a two- to three-year delivery timeline. The truck would serve as both an aerial unit and a first-out engine for structure fires.
After an hourlong discussion, a motion by Councilmember Greg Ponciano died without a second, ending consideration of the purchase despite warnings from fire officials about equipment reliability and response capability.
The council did not propose or vote on an alternative plan to replace the department’s primary engine.
The Colusa Fire Department is operating frontline engines that are up to 24 years old, with its newest engine now 13 years old. The department does not operate an aerial ladder truck. National Fire Protection Association standards recommend apparatus exceeding 10 years of service be moved to reserve status and replaced as first-out units.
“If we do not purchase a piece of equipment to replace that first-out engine, it’s going to create an unreliable response for the city,” Conley said. “We still have a responsibility to provide equipment that we can respond safely with.”
Despite those concerns, council discussion focused largely on financial risk.
The proposed funding plan relied on a combination of strike team revenue and impact fees. Conley said the department currently has about $443,000 in strike team funds, with additional reimbursements pending, and that no payment would be required until the truck is delivered.
“This is the third year that we’ll be having a deficit budget,” said Colusa City Mayor Denise Conrado. “Each year gets a little bigger.”
Concerns also centered on the volatility of strike team funding.
“It’s a huge concern,” said Councilmember Daniel Vaca. “We don’t have control of that money coming in. It’s hard to swallow that size of a purchase when our revenues keep decreasing year in and year out.”
Vaca warned the city could face cuts if revenues fall short.
“At that point, we’d have to start looking at cuts,” he said. “Now we’re talking about potentially losing employees.”
The discussion also turned to whether lower-cost options had been explored.
“Have we looked at buying a used truck?” said Councilmember Dave Markss.
“Have we ever done that on the police side?” said Councilmember Ponciano, directing the question toward police leadership.
No direction was given to pursue used equipment.
Conley said the ladder truck was selected as a long-term solution, noting that a new Type 1 engine alone would cost more than $1 million without providing aerial capability.
Supporters of the proposal pointed to the department’s history of using strike team revenue to fund equipment.
“What the fire department is asking is to use strike team revenue in the exact way it’s meant to be used,” Ponciano said.
The department currently relies on mutual aid from neighboring agencies for ladder support, which is not always available.
“We have had no ladder truck in our county,” Conley said.
The issue comes as the department prepares for an Insurance Services Office audit in April. The ISO rating evaluates fire protection capabilities and can influence insurance costs for residents and businesses.
Despite public support for the purchase, the council declined to move forward and did not set a timeline to revisit the proposal.
The decision leaves the department operating with its current fleet and without a defined path to replace its primary front-line engine.
“What I’m looking for is direction,” Conley said. “We still have to be able to respond to our citizens.”