“Prices are climbing, we’re ordering early.”  That was the message from Fishers City Fleet Manager Tabatha Miller to the Board of Public Works and Safety Tuesday morning.  Both rising costs and supply chain issues are impacting equipment the city needs.

The first item before the board was a Medic unit used by the Fishers Fire & Emergency Services Department, replacing a current one.  Miller told the board it will take 12-24 months to take delivery of the unit.  Mayor Scott Fadness remarked that this would place it in the 2023 budget with delivery as late as early 2025.  The board approved the purchase.

Next, the board also approved a fire truck costing just under $691,000 which will not be delivered for 24 to 30 months.  Mayor Fadness raised a concern about financing expense with the timeline drawn-out so far on major equipment purchases.

“If it’s a traditional loan…we’re carrying that money, paying interest on money we’re not using for 2 years or 3 years, upwards of $700,000 to $800,000,” Fadness said.  “We probably need to have a side conversation on how to reduce our carry costs.”

Miller says one manufacture of fire engines is currently 4,000 units behind and all manufacturers of this equipment have a long list of fire engines on back order.