March 12, 2025:
The Pierre Volunteer Fire Department is getting a new ladder truck, but it’ll take a while for it to get here.
At the March 11 commission meeting, the Pierre City Commission approved a $1.76 million contract with Heiman Fire Equipment, a Sioux Falls based company.
“We had four bidders, and Heiman was the lowest bidder,” said Pierre Fire Chief Ian Paul. “Heiman also had the quickest delivery time with a 36-month build time.”
The city views the three-year delivery timeline to be beneficial in this situation.
“It gives us a couple of years to set aside some money to pay for the truck upon delivery rather than absorbing the entire $1.7 million in one budget cycle,” said Paul.
The city has been planning for this purchase; it set aside $600,000 in the 2025 budget for the truck with the intention of doing the same for the next couple of years.
The ladder truck is primarily used for aerial application of water on structure fires, but it can also be used for rescues. The new truck will be similar in design to the current ladder truck but will include the latest safety standards.
The department anticipates getting approximately 20 years of service from the new truck.
The department’s current ladder truck is nearly 20 years old and has an estimated resale value of $250,000.
December 19, 2025:
The Pierre City Commission has approved (Dec. 17, 2024) taking action to find out how much it will cost to build and purchase a new ladder truck.
Volunteer Fire Department Chief Ian Paul says ladder trucks cost roughly $2 million.
Audio PlayerPaul says these trucks are custom built.
Audio PlayerPaul says part of the cost of the new ladder truck was included in the 2025 budget, and will be included in the department’s budget for the next few years.
The department’s current ladder truck is nearly 20 years old and has an estimated resale value of $250,000.
Comments