Former New Rochelle Ladder 12 Donated To WCFTC?

[x635 4,066]

Heard something about the former New Rochelle Ladder 12 (The 1997 Simon/LTI 75' Quint) being donated to the Westchester Fire Training Center. Bnechis or someone in the know, can you confirm?

So, someone correct this if it's wrong. The WCFTC is running with for their Grasslands and training fleet

-Engine 7 (International/E-One)

-Ladder 7 (HME/Smeal)

-Former Pound Ridge Rescue 22

-Former Rye Engine

-Former New Rochelle Ladder 12

[Bnechis 3,961]

Yes it was donated to the training center.

[CFI609D 119]

Heard something about the former New Rochelle Ladder 12 (The 1997 Simon/LTI 75' Quint) being donated to the Westchester Fire Training Center. Bnechis or someone in the know, can you confirm?

So, someone correct this if it's wrong. The WCFTC is running with for their Grasslands and training fleet

-Engine 7 (International/E-One)

-Ladder 7 (HME/Smeal)

-Former Pound Ridge Rescue 22

-Former Rye Engine

-Former New Rochelle Ladder 12

PRFD's former Rescue 22 is now Rescue 78, and Rye's old engine is now Engine 8.

[x635 4,066]

I've always been curious, how does a department donate apparatus.....does it have to go through the bid or any other disposal process?

[Bnechis 3,961]

In our case we suggested to city council that it was in the city's best interest to donate it. They agreed.

They have the authority to determine how surplus equipment is disposed of.

[x635 4,066]

In our case we suggested to city council that it was in the city's best interest to donate it. They agreed.

They have the authority to determine how surplus equipment is disposed of.

Thanks, I always wondered how that worked. Simple. I wish more departments disposed of apparatus to where it will be put to good use.

[RES24CUE 168]

In our case we suggested to city council that it was in the city's best interest to donate it. They agreed.

They have the authority to determine how surplus equipment is disposed of.

I am confused about this. The organization with which I was previously affiliated was looking into donating old equipment / firefighting gear / apparatus to some poor, developing countries through a local charity. The charity would incur all delivery costs, etc. However, the fire district, upon researching the matter, determined that according to the laws that govern fire districts (Side note, one of the fire commissioners was an attorney and they always had their district attorney present at all district meetings...so there were 2 lawyers interpreting these laws not just a an electrician, a school bus driver, and a DOT worker who are laymen and wouldn't know how to interpret the law anyway) they were unable to donate any equipment that still had any value remaining. The way that they read the law was that anything that was purchased with any taxpayer money could not be disposed of until it was completely without value. Therefore, completely regardless of NFPA and their time restrictions for apparatus / fire gear, if the piece of equipment had a reasonable fair market value, then they could not dispose of that item without some type of monetary compensation / attempt to get the most out of the taxpayer's dollar. Their interpretation was as follows...What right do they have to give away something worth $25,000 of the taxpayers money. They should sell it for the $25,000 and they charge the taxpayers $25,000 less the following year. This could be a significant amount of money on a ladder truck even if it is 15 years old.

[CFI609D 119]

I am confused about this. The organization with which I was previously affiliated was looking into donating old equipment / firefighting gear / apparatus to some poor, developing countries through a local charity. The charity would incur all delivery costs, etc. However, the fire district, upon researching the matter, determined that according to the laws that govern fire districts (Side note, one of the fire commissioners was an attorney and they always had their district attorney present at all district meetings...so there were 2 lawyers interpreting these laws not just a an electrician, a school bus driver, and a DOT worker who are laymen and wouldn't know how to interpret the law anyway) they were unable to donate any equipment that still had any value remaining. The way that they read the law was that anything that was purchased with any taxpayer money could not be disposed of until it was completely without value. Therefore, completely regardless of NFPA and their time restrictions for apparatus / fire gear, if the piece of equipment had a reasonable fair market value, then they could not dispose of that item without some type of monetary compensation / attempt to get the most out of the taxpayer's dollar. Their interpretation was as follows...What right do they have to give away something worth $25,000 of the taxpayers money. They should sell it for the $25,000 and they charge the taxpayers $25,000 less the following year. This could be a significant amount of money on a ladder truck even if it is 15 years old.

The key word you used is "interpret." If you asked 15 attorneys for their respective opinions, you would likely get 15 distinctly different interpretations of the law. This is especially the case in here in NYS where so many of the laws pertaining to fire districts, fire companies, and municipal fire departments are archaic and inconsistent.

[Bnechis 3,961]

The way that they read the law was that anything that was purchased with any taxpayer money could not be disposed of until it was completely without value.

Therefore, completely regardless of NFPA and their time restrictions for apparatus / fire gear, if the piece of equipment had a reasonable fair market value, then they could not dispose of that item without some type of monetary compensation / attempt to get the most out of the taxpayer's dollar. Their interpretation was as follows...What right do they have to give away something worth $25,000 of the taxpayers money. They should sell it for the $25,000 and they charge the taxpayers $25,000 less the following year. This could be a significant amount of money on a ladder truck even if it is 15 years old.

Wow, we have way too many lawyers.

1st off, local governments including fire depts. dispose of equipment without value all of the time. if I have 20 year old turnouts, never used & in the original bag...what is it worth? Some would say $100's or more. We would say its worth millions in liability if used.

Ok lets say this 17 year old truck is worth $15,000, The chassis manufacturer went belly up 15 years ago, so parts are hard to come by and the cost to keep it "road worthy" might be more than its worth (so in 1 year it could be worthless), what are our options:

1) we can trade it in on a new rig, but wont get $15,000 for it.

2) action it. But in the past we find the high bidders run around $3,000 - 5,000 (usually for scrap)

3) we can donate it to another governmental agency, and our probies & other ff's get to use it for a few years and saves us from having to send another truck, depriving our citizens of that coverage. Well worth the $3,000 - $5,000 we usually get at this point.

4) to keep it longer violates NFPA 1901 (mostly for vehicle safety issues, like stability control & anti-lock breaks). So again liability & can't be don't because the manufacture is out of the game.

btw: this vehicle is perfectly safe for training center use. past its ladder & pump tests within the year, but is no longer safe to be responding in traffic.