The overview
New trucks for the Round Rock Fire Department will replace two old vehicles, which are both about 10 years old. The National Fire Protection Association recommends vehicles be replaced after 10 to 15 years of use, and lead times for the order are between 36 and 48 months.
“We really have to plan accordingly to get these vehicles in,” Director of General Services Chad McDowell said at an agenda packet briefing July 9.
One of the old trucks will go back to the manufacturer as a credit, and the second will be retired to the reserve fleet. Of the new vehicles, one will be upgraded with a foam pumper apparatus, which uses a foam to suffocate fire and can also help put out petroleum products.
The council authorized City Manager Laurie Hadley to issue a purchase order of almost $2 million to Siddons-Martin Emergency Group for both trucks.
What else?
The city will also purchase a ballistics imaging software system, which is used to identify bullet casings and match them to weapons. The system will also allow the Round Rock Police Department’s crime scene unit to capture and store information to submit to the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, a federal database.
Currently, the Round Rock PD travels to Waco and surrounding areas to use the same system, delivering more than 300 bullet casings last year, Assistant Police Chief Justin Carmichael said. With the purchase of the forensic technology, the department can analyze crime scenes more efficiently as well as support the surrounding communities’ police departments, according to Carmichael.
“It would be save quite a bit of time having it here in Round Rock,” he said.
Dig deeper
The approval for the new vehicles comes as the city expands fire operations. Construction on Fire Station No. 1 began in May, and plans for Fire Station No. 10 are moving forward. The department has recently increased unit responses, Fire Chief Shane Glaiser said, and the new facilities are a part of an ongoing effort to reduce response times.
Council’s approval of the new ballistic imaging system also follows the recent Juneteenth shooting at Old Settler’s Park.
“I’ll just say on behalf of all of us, we appreciate what everybody does in this department,” Mayor Craig Morgan said. “We know how important it is, especially in recent events.”
