The Eureka Fire Protection District Board of Directors recently approved spending about $1.2 million for new equipment and renovations to two stations.
The new equipment includes six Bullard thermal imaging cameras at $3,600 each, a Rosenbauer pumper truck at $680,000, two AEV ambulances at $210,000 each and renovations to Houses 2 and 3 for $175,000, district Public Information Officer Scott Barthelmass said.
House 2 is at 1815 W. Fifth St. and House 3 is at 3570 White Oak School Road.
Chief Greg Brown said all the purchases were unanimously approved during the Feb. 9 meeting.
Brown said the expenditures are part of capital improvement plans, and said each purchase was the “lowest best bid,” meaning the lowest bid that met all specifications needed.
“There were some that were potentially a little cheaper, but it didn’t meet all the specifications that were advertised with it,” he said.
Barthelmass said the six cameras will replace five-year-old models.
“We’re replacing our existing cameras with a newer technology,” he said.
Barthelmass said the thermal imaging cameras help firefighters locate any “hidden fire” that could be inside walls or hot spots of fire under floors.
Barthelmass said each firetruck is equipped with a camera.
Barthelmass said the new Rosenbauer pumper truck will replace a 2010 pumper, which is stationed at House 2. He said the truck will be red and match all the current trucks.
Barthelmass said the truck is expected to arrive in spring 2022.
“Firetrucks aren’t like buying a car; it takes a little time for them to come in,” he said.
Barthelmass said the district is purchasing two AEV ambulances through the Houston-Galveston Area Buying Group.
“By going through that consortium and agreeing to the purchase of two ambulances, which we had already projected we would have to do anyway, it saves us a considerable amount of money,” he said.
He said the first one should arrive in August, and the second is expected to be delivered in spring 2022.
Barthelmass said Reicon Contracting of Eureka will handle the renovations at the two houses.
Barthelmass said the largest change will be to the bunk room, where on-duty firefighters sleep.
“We have large bunk rooms, there’s no privacy,” he said. “So, we’re making individual bunk rooms.”
Brown said the renovations will also improve the living spaces for crews.
“The renovations in our stations are to provide a better quality of environment for our people,” he said.
Barthelmass said he believes the last time either station was updated was the late 1990s.
He said the renovations started in March and were expected to be completed sometime in April.