Parma Heights Fire Department. (John Benson/cleveland.com)

PARMA HEIGHTS, Ohio -- City Council recently approved the fire department not only purchasing a brand-new Sutphen engine for $624,137 but also spending $60,000 for a used substitute fire truck.

“We actually were able to get lucky purchasing a pre-production model, which is still brand-new but was already scheduled to be made,” Parma Heights Fire Chief Matt Bernard said.

“If we were to order the engine as of right now, and make it custom, it’s currently up to a two-year wait.”

The new Sutphen engine is similar to the department’s current 2010 frontline vehicle -- which has 45,000 miles -- in layout and design. It addresses firefighter safety related to fire-related carcinogens with outside storage on the vehicle for the firefighters’ turnout gear.

The extra space is tied to modern fire trucks, due to low draw LED lights, no longer requiring a generator.

As for the purchase of the used 2006 Sutphen engine with 110,000 miles, Bernard said that’s due to the department’s backup 2006 fire truck being out of service after it was deemed no longer road safe. The used vehicle will act as a backup engine until the city receives its new truck in early 2023.

“The reason we had to purchase a substitute or temporary vehicle is if our frontline engine goes out of service I don’t have a reserve,” Bernard said. “We were able to find one down in North Carolina. Everybody I talked to, area mechanics and chiefs, said we had a heck of a deal on it.”

The used 2006 model is expected to arrive in Parma Heights this week or next.

The plan for next year once the brand-new fire engine arrives is to use the current front-line vehicle as a reserve and sell the recently purchased interim engine.

“The one advantage of the way the markets are going right now is we’re hopeful early next spring we’ll be able to recoup 99 percent of our cost we paid for this temporary engine,” Bernard said.

Parma Heights Mayor Marie Gallo added, “The safety of our residents is a priority so the chief was on top of this and got the ball rolling quickly. Services, especially fire service to our residents, cannot be interrupted and will not be interrupted.”

As for the emergency construction work on the Parma Heights Fire Station, Bernard said the emergency $80,900 masonry project nears completion. The Pearl Road building’s structural integrity required immediate attention.

“The one foreman said we were very lucky we didn’t wait any longer because there were certain parts of the building only being held up by caulk, if you believe it or not,” Bernard said.

Read more news from the Parma Sun Post here.

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