Ring of Fire: Darley begs off fire district bid

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By ROD STETZER
rod.stetzer@lee.net
Sunday, December 28, 2008 8:05 AM CST

Editor’s Note: The Chippewa Fire District caused controversy when it considered buying a fire truck for over $517,000. In the second installment of “Ring of Fire,” a three -part series, The Chippewa Herald looks at why a local company didn’t bid to build the truck.

It seemed odd.

From its plants, including one in Chippewa Falls, W.S. Darley produces fire trucks used around the world. The 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China relied on Darley-made fire trucks.

So why didn’t Darley bid to make a fire truck for the Chippewa Fire District, only a few miles away from its Chippewa Falls facility?

Simple, said Jeff Darley, chief operating officer and executive vice president of the company.

“The Chippewa Fire District decided on the type of vehicle they felt would serve their needs the best,” he said.

The specifications the fire district drew up for a truck intended for the town of Howard didn’t line up with the products Darley offers. “The type of vehicle they went out to purchase is the type of vehicle Darley does not manufacture,” Darley said.

“They selected a set of specifications that was out of product mix and we declined to bid on it.”

A Darley competitor, Pierce Manufacturing based in Appleton, submitted the only bid for the project, $517,327.

As it turned out, the fire district’s board decided against buying the truck.

Jeff Darley stressed that many times fire departments write their own specifications for trucks, knowing some manufacturers will or will not be able to build it.

That may have been a factor in the Lake Hallie bid, according to a former fire chief who reviewed the truck specifications at the request of the Chippewa Herald.

“Darley, and most of the fire manufacturers, typically buy a custom chassis that is based on the specs from someone like Spartan then build the body of the truck as the client so specified.

“Since Pierce builds everything at their plant in Appleton, they are one of the few, if any, that actually build the chassis.

“The pumps (for the Lake Hallie truck) obviously preclude Darley from bidding, although they could include a remark that they are taking exception to the Waterous pump,” wrote the former fire chief, who did not want to be named became of continuing to work in the fire industry.

Jeff Darley said the fire district wanted the truck to have a custom chassis, which is more expensive.

Darley’s company is building a fire truck for the city of Chippewa Falls. which will be turned over to the city in early 2009. That truck has a substantially lower price tag, $285,000, than the fire district truck.

Chippewa Falls wanted its truck to have commercial chassis, which is readily available and has a lower price.

“They are more of an economical vehicle,” Darley said.

It’s a considerable cost savings.

“We’re saving almost $100,000 by buying the chassis,” said Chippewa Falls Fire Chief Tom Larson about buying the International Navistar 4400 commercial chassis. (The new truck will be used by the fire department’s Station 2, on the city’s South side.)

Larson said his department has other trucks with a custom chassis. “Quite frankly, we can’t afford them anymore.”

The new city truck will include a 1,000 gallon water tank and a compressed air foam system, along with ladders and hoses. The truck’s cab can seat three firefighters.

The plastic body of the fire truck is made in Augusta, and won’t rust. “It makes the trucks lighter weight so you can get better mileage.”

The city sought bids from Darley, Pierce and a third company called Seagrove, and selected the Darley bid.

“Every fire truck we’ve bought since 1936 has been a Darley,” Larson said.

You can build a pumper truck from $250,000 to $600,000, Jeff Darley said. “It all depends on what features you want on the truck.”

Usually a department’s budget – and whether it has received a grant – determines what vehicle departments buy, Darley said.

So was the $517,327 bid for the town of Howard truck unreasonable?

“I’d say no,” Darley said.