Chief Graham making his presentation at the Public Information Meeting held on January 5th, 2017 @ 7:00 PM at our Blacks Drive facility.
The Situation
Boiling Springs Fire District purchased its last truck in 2010 for $513,000. The same truck purchased in 2016 would have cost $614,000.
Boiling Springs Fire District currently has three pumper trucks that are 15 years old
and plans on replacing them before they reach end-of-life status.
Since the three pumper trucks were manufactured by Summerville, SC-based American LaFrance, which went out of business in 2014, repair and replacement parts are becoming more difficult to obtain. The demand for American LaFrance replacement parts is high, and these parts are being sold to the highest bidders. Continually purchasing repair parts is not a cost-effective method to keep the District’s trucks operational.
As call volumes increase, that means heavier use of the District’s trucks and equipment. When Boiling Springs responded to 500 calls per year, a truck’s life cycle was 20-25 years. In 2016 – responding to medical emergencies and vehicular incidents in addition to fires – Boiling Springs personnel responded to approximately 2000 calls and significantly increased wear and tear on our trucks. Thankfully, right now automatic mutual aid agreements allow us to use equipment and manpower from neighboring districts and keep us from needing to increase our fleet size.
The Plan
The Boiling Springs Fire District plans to implement a new Fleet Replacement Strategy that will replace 1/3 of the District’s fleet each cycle – with the next cycle beginning in 2020.
Replacing apparatus on a scheduled cycle helps keep maintenance costs down, helps ensure safer vehicles for emergency personnel, and keeps Boiling Springs Fire District in compliance with constantly updated EPA standards.
Although Boiling Springs could have received a millage increase from County Council to fund the purchase of the new truck replacements, the Commission of BSFD wanted to leave it as a decision of the people we serve through a ballot referendum.
Issuing these general obligation bonds (not to exceed $2,100,000) will mean a cost of $8.00 per year on a $100,000 owner-occupied home / $16.00 per year on a $200,000 owner-occupied home over a 15 year period.
WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN?
The question on the ballot will read: “Shall the Boiling Springs Fire District, located in Greenville County, South Carolina (the “District”), be authorized to issue and sell, either as a single issue or as several separate issues, general obligation bonds of the District in an aggregate principal amount of not exceeding $2,100,000, the proceeds of which shall be applied to defray the costs, along with legal and related expenses, of the following: (i) acquiring and equipping fire apparatuses; (ii) payment of the principal of and interest on the bonds as they respectively mature; and (iii) creation of a sinking fund as may be necessary therefor.”
• If voters pass the January 10, 2017 referendum with a “Yes” vote, the bonds will be approved, and the District will begin replacing an aging truck fleet that is expensive to maintain with more cost-effective emergency vehicles that are also safer for personnel.
• If voters reject the January 10, 2017 referendum with a “No” vote, no bonds will be issued, and the District will not begin replacing any of its truck fleet. Existing trucks will continue to be maintained, and the District will be forced to pay more tax money to purchase replacement parts that are currently going to the highest bidders since the manufacturer is no longer in business. When these trucks are eventually replaced, they will cost more than they would today.
