City of Cranbrook council Nov. 26 opted to delay the sale of Cranbrook Fire and Emergency Services’ 1995 Freightliner fire engine.

Council acted on a request from Coun. Ron Popoff to delay the sale so city staff can explore the possibility of the truck being donated or sold to a smaller fire department, or donated to a service club.

Popoff said he is reluctant to part with “a once noble vehicle” for the highest bid and see it converted into a “backroad truck.”

Scott Driver, acting chief of Cranbrook Fire and Emergency Services, provided a report to council as to why the truck is being sold.

“The city owns a 1995 Freightliner fire engine which is no longer in service as it reached end of life and has been replaced. Due to the specific function of this apparatus and the fact that we do not have the capacity to store it or cross utilize it elsewhere in the corporation it is considered surplus at this time,” he said.

“Selling the engine will eliminate the need to store and insure the asset, which will reduce in value very rapidly without constant maintenance. The sale of the asset is intended to be through a public, online auction. It is expected that the item may sell for more than $10,000.”

Sale of City Assets (Excluding Real Property) Policy 40-601 requires council’s approval when an asset with a value above $10,000 is going to be sold.

Council agreed to table approval for sale until its Dec. 10 meeting.

Lead image: CFES’s 1995 Freightliner fire engine. Photo by Shane Mackichan/BC Fire Trucks

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