YOUNGSTOWN – City council will consider legislation Tuesday to authorize the purchase of two new fire trucks.

The legislation calls for council to permit the board of control to spend up to $2 million for the two pumper trucks. However, it will have to be amended at Tuesday’s meeting because the vehicles will cost about $2.1 million in total.

If the city acts fast enough, the fire trucks could be ready by April or May of next year.

The board of control could vote as soon as Thursday on signing a contract with Atlantic Emergency Solutions Inc. of Manassas, Virginia.

Typically, it takes considerably longer to get fire trucks. The city purchased a new ladder truck in 2023 for about $2.2 million and it isn’t expected to arrive until October. It will replace a 25-year-old truck.

The ladder truck was custom-built for the city, while the two pumper trucks are not specifically designed for Youngstown, so they can arrive faster.

Mayor Jamael Tito Brown said, “Our residents deserve the peace of mind that when an emergency happens, our firefighters can continue to respond quickly and effectively. This investment is about more than equipment. It’s an investment in the future of our city and ensuring that the people of Youngstown can continue to count on their fire department when it matters most. It’s another step forward in our commitment to improving public safety and city services.”

The fire department currently has 11 trucks in its operational fleet – ranging in age from six to 25 years old – and four reserve units, according to a study earlier this year by Public Consulting Group LLC of Boston that examined the city’s ambulance service options and its fire department. Three of the four reserved vehicles are used almost daily.

The study states: “Overall, the fleet is well-worn and shows signs of deferred maintenance.”

The study stated that three of the fleet’s vehicles, all at least 15 years old, “are approaching or have exceeded the recommended frontline service period,” and should be replaced or relegated to reserve status.

“With most of our fleet logging nearly two decades of service, it is stretched thin,” said fire Chief Barry Finley. “By putting these new trucks into service, we’re improving public safety by giving our firefighters safer, more dependable equipment so they can focus on saving lives and property. This is a win for the entire city.”

Chris Weaver, the firefighters’ union president, said, “We’re absolutely in favor of this. We have an aging fleet. There are times where we’ve had to close a company down because a truck broke down, and we don’t have a spare.”

Weaver said he’d like to see the city purchase a couple of custom-built fire trucks in the next few years.

Councilwoman Anita Davis, D-6th Ward and finance committee chairwoman, said she supports the purchase of the vehicles, which is coming out of the general fund.

“Our fire fleet is ancient,” she said. “Right now, I haven’t heard a downside to it. It’s a lot of money. We’re not rich, but if we continue to let our fleet go and we’re not able to respond, that would be much worse.”