FARMINGTON — Selectmen Tuesday, Feb. 13, approved using $4,196.43 from Fire Rescue Department’s equipment reserve account to purchase a new compressor for the self-contained breathing apparatus [SCBA] and selling an existing one plus related equipment.
“This is from the AFG [FEMA assistance to firefighters grant] grant that we received,” Farmington Fire Rescue Chief Timothy “TD” Hardy said. “This project ended up being a lot more complex than we thought when we submitted for the grant.”
In September selectmen approved a $75,000 grant that included a five percent match from the town.
Enough money, $95,000 to $100,000 was asked for in the grant for a 7,000 psi [pounds per square inch] compressor but only $75,000 was granted, Hardy noted. The 7,000 psi compressor was thought to be out of reach for that amount, so a range of compressor sizes was asked for in the bids, he stated.
Four companies submitted bids from $53,000 to $77,000 with the lower ones for 6,000 psi compressors, Hardy said. The air tanks the department uses are 5,500, so a lot of compressor run time would be needed for those, he noted. Only two of them make 7,000 psi compressors, he stated.
HSE Fire/Safety Equipment of Lewiston bid $77,635 for a 7,000 psi compressor but re-using the rack from the current system to hold it will save $2,000, Hardy stated in recommending that option.
“It is $625 over what the grant was awarded for when we talked about it last year,” he noted. “We figure overall it is a better, simpler unit. It is real high end, has good warranty, service right here in Maine.”
Would any electrical work be needed, Selectman Joshua Bell asked.
The department has 3-phase already, would have to pay an electrician to make the connection, Hardy said. He planned to use regular budget funds.
The compressor comes with a two year warranty, Hardy hopes to get 20 years out of it. “We bought our last one in 2004. Anywhere in that 15 to 20 years range is pretty good,” he stated.
“In going with the 7,000 psi compressor, will there be less of a run cycle,” Bell asked.
“Yeah,” Hardy replied. “Our SCBA bottles are 5,500 psi. The compressor actually makes more pressure to begin with so we won’t have to run the compressor to keep those bottles full. We have been working our compressor quite hard for the last few years.”
“The lowest bid isn’t always the best,” Selectman Stephan Bunker said. Long term the 7,000 psi compressor is well within the town’s grasp, fits, he added.
Selectmen also gave permission to sell the excess compressor and associated equipment with proceeds going to the equipment reserve account.
Hardy has spoken with dealers [who purchase equipment], been given verbal offers around $2,000. The plan is to provide trucking for the equipment so more is hoped for and if $3,000 to $5,000 was gotten, the department would be doing well, he added.
“And we replace our out of pocket [expenses to purchase the new compressor], pretty close to that,” Selectman Dennis O’Neil said.
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