Wawa Municipal Council's asked the fire chief to request new tenders for a new tanker fire apparatus.
The issue came up during last night's Corporate Planning Committee meeting, with CAO/Treasurer Maury O'Neill explaining that a request went out earlier this year and that multiple bids were received, but "a number" were rejected for not meeting the requirements set out by the tender - Fire Chief Kevin Sabourin's recommendation based on that was a tanker that would cost $715,000, though O'Neill recommended that Council opt against that and have another tender request put out, since the quoted amount is more than $300,000 above the $400,000 budget Council agreed upon.
Asked about putting out a new tender request, Chief Sabourin noted it would take a minimum of 30 days - about a week to prepare it and three weeks for submissions - but warned there's difficulty finding equipment that would fit the specifications, most notably a tanker that would have the capacity needed to properly address obligations along the highway - like covering vehicle fires - while still being small enough to fit within the current fire hall.
While it was noted that one bid that was rejected for not meeting the tender's specifications did come in around $550,000 - to which Council seemed more receptive - Sabourin warned that another tender request could still bring about tenders that don't meet the requirements for water capacity or vehicle size.
Sabourin further warned that the current tanker is in poor condition - suggesting it could cease to be "roadworthy" any day - but was unsure of options if that did happen, such as renting or leasing a tanker.
In the following regular meeting, Council approved a resolution accepting O'Neill's recommendation, directing Sabourin to put out a new tender request as soon as possible.