Rosemount City Council Approves Purchase of New $530,000 Engine

A new $530,000 pumper truck is headed to the Rosemount Fire Dept., following a vote this week by the City Council.

On Tuesday, the council gave final approval to the purchase of the truck, which replaces an engine purchased by the city in 1987.

Rosemount Fire Chief Scott Aker said the engine is being specially built to the department's requirements and it should take about eight months to arrive. "Each department has its own special needs and we're able to get the engine we need in just the configuration that makes sense for us."

Aker said the engine is replacing an older vehicle, which no longer meets the needs of the department. "We are going to have the engine also equipped as a rescue vehicle, which will give us more flexibility," said Aker. "We will also be able to carry an additional fireman, as well as some more equipment."

The new pumper will be built by General Safety Equipment, which also built the pumper set to be replaced. "We've been very happy with the performance of that engine, and I anticipate we'll be even happier with the new pumper," said Aker.

The purchase had been part of the city’s budget planning for several years, said City Administrator Dwight Johnson. "We knew that this was a purchase that needed to happen and we have been putting money aside in our budget to ensure it wasn't a financial concern for the city." Johnson said putting the money aside allowed the pumper to be ordered as soon as it was approved by the city council. The city had budgeted $550,000 for the purchase and related items.