Spotted at the KME plant . . .

[ACPD227]

I was on a truck committee for my former Volunteer department which covers 5 townships and 2 towns  We were specking a new 75' ladder Quint to replace a 1989 Pierce 105 rm ladder we got used and a 1989 Ford C FMC Pumper. The chief was not on the committee selected by the department board of directors but quickly stuck his nose and fingers in it. The truck committee looked at several mfgs demo rigs and quickly got a list of likes and dislikes along with must haves. Our truck committee attended FDIC and got more information on trucks and equipment. Our committee met 4 to 6 times a month. For almost a year. The committee decided to wait on a mfg to have Help us wright the specs until we decided what mfgs we liked and felt good with no sales pressure. The next meeting we attended the Chief was at and he had gotten word on how we planned to wright a spec that all mfgs could bid on. With him was the sales rep for brand p who lives in our response area. The chief demanded we spec with brand p and we start tonight. Since the other truck committee on our department was specking a new 4000 gal tanker with brand p. The specs were written after a year and a half of planning and were slanted to brand p all the way. When the specs were sent out for bids 7 mfgs responded and proposed trucks. Brand p was $200,000.00 more than the next bid. The committee threw out brand E and R because they didn't meet spec and brand P because they were too high and out of budget. It was down to brand F and S.  Brand S was still in because we didn't specify a rear mount. The committee felt that brand F met out needs the best and had a final meeting with brand F to go over the specs and make sure they met out needs and they could answer questions if we had any. The meeting ended and the committee felt that we would go to the board of directors then the body and recommend brand F build our new truck. Settled correct almost 2 years of hard work is about to become a truck we will have 20 years.

 

Wrong

 

Our Chief went behind the departments back and goes to the township trustee and got the trustee to buy a brand p demo rig with 30,000 miles on it. The truck we were replacing was a 1989 with 18,000 miles on it. After this happened we found out that this deal had been signed 2 weeks before we even met with the brand F rep. Our committee had 6 members on it not including the chief. Of the committee 5 of us quiet the department over this straw that broke the camels back and 2 years of time wasted for a demo rig.