A pair of Tate County volunteer fire departments are a step closer to acquiring new trucks after Supervisors authorized a board order to purchase two pumpers at state contract price of $326,865 each.
The county expects to receive reimbursement of $180,000 for the 2023 Pierce Commercial Freightliner pumpers through the Mississippi Rural Fire Truck Acquisition Assistance Program to help cover the cost.
“We got a letter back from the state fire marshal’s office with approval of Round 13 and 14 pending funding. That means the money is not there now, but applications are piling up until the legislature goes into session to discuss funding,” Kim Brownlee, Tate County Emergency Management Director and Fire Coordinator, explained.
Brownlee said it typically takes 16 months to build the trucks, meaning the county can expect delivery of the pumpers around April 2022 if they are ordered immediately.
The decision to replace trucks in District I, the southwestern portion of the county including Strayhorn and Sarah, and Looxahoma was based upon a recommendation by chiefs from all county fire departments during a recent meeting, according to Brownlee.
“We will probably do a new cap loan on both trucks. They are more expensive that we have paid in the past so the payments will be a little higher,” said County Administrator Cole Massie. “Ordering the trucks without knowing you will receive reimbursement of $180,000 is a big risk, but our current trucks are going to lose their rating in a couple of years, so we really have no choice but to bite the bullet and go for it, so to speak.”
In other business, the Board of Supervisors approved the covenants, conditions, and restrictions for Phase 1 of Northwest Business Park at the former Chromcraft property on Norfleet Drive. Supervisors also approved and signed the final plat for Phase 1 of the new business park and submitted it to the City of Senatobia for endorsement.
