Deputy Fire Chief Mortensen told the council on Nov. 24 that Pasco’s current ladder truck (built in 2012) is approaching the end of its useful life and that industry lead times and rising prices make early procurement prudent. Mortensen said the department issued a spec, vetted vendors and selected Rosenbauer through a cooperative purchasing contract with a current quoted price of $2,409,000 and a vendor‑announced 4% price increase scheduled for Dec. 10.

Mortensen described the selected tractor‑drawn aerial (TVA) spec as a vehicle with tight turning radius (15 feet) to serve newer northwest neighborhoods; he noted the truck includes a ladder‑tip thermal camera and other operational features. The department said it has funds in its equipment replacement reserve and expects a $40,000 discount for prepayment; staff also described surplus sales (about $160,000 realized this year and a reserve unit consigned for sale) that reduce net acquisition cost.

Council questions covered depreciation, used‑market expectations for the existing reserve truck, drone and thermal capabilities, and procurement timing. A member of the public, Laurie Thompson, urged council to approve the purchase for public safety reasons and to support fire and police efforts to enforce illegal fireworks. City staff and the deputy chief framed the next step as bringing a formal resolution to a regular meeting seeking budget authority and council authorization for the city manager to sign the sales agreement.

No final purchase vote was taken during the workshop. Staff characterized the request as within existing reserves but said council action will be needed at an upcoming meeting to finalize the sale and capture the vendor discount and price avoidance.