John Coffelt, Editor

Manchester Safety Committee on Dec. 8 sent to the Finance Committee the purchase of a brand-new fire truck for roughly $850,000 following the failure of a pump in a Manchester Fire Department engine.

During a recent pump testing process, Engine 611, a 2005 truck, had a catastrophic pump failure. According to Mayor Joey Hobbs, repairs to the engine’s pumping mechanism would cost at least $100,000, barring no additional damage to the truck which only has five years left on its service life.

The new truck would last at least approximately 20 years while a used fire engine for about $300,000 would last about eight years.

The new fire engine would pump 3,500 gallons per minute and meet the ISO structure residential fire scene requirement with a single piece of equipment. Currently to meet that flow rate, MFD needs three apparatus on the scene.

Hobbs will recommend to the Finance Committee funding the purchase with additional money in the general fund from the sale of land in the Manchester Industrial Park to Little Leaf for $1 million.

Alderman Donny Parsley said the purchase makes sense rather than to put it off and take the chance of not having the available funds down the road when it’s needed.  This off-the-lot truck comes at a significant discount to the “bespoke” engine that was looking to cost the city $1.2 million.   

John has been with the Manchester Times since May 2011. John has won Tennessee Press Association awards for Best News Photo and placed in numerous other categories. John is a 1994 graduate of Tullahoma High School, a graduate of Motlow State Community College and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middle Tennessee State University. He lives in Tullahoma, enjoys painting, dancing and exploring the outdoors.