Amarillo Fire Department Getting New Custom Firetrucks

There is a lot about Amarillo that is outdated and needs some refreshing. We've seen some of that happening lately with different programs in areas of the city that are revitalizing businesses and giving them a second life.

While that's great and we're all about that kind of thing happening, there are some things that are so pressing and life-altering that need to be done. Now, we're getting one of those upgrades in the city.

The Amarillo Fire Department needs some new trucks, and they're about to get six of them.

Why would we need new trucks? Well, over half the fleet of trucks firefighters use here in Amarillo are 10 years old or beyond that. While we can drive our normal passenger cars for longer than that, firetrucks are a bit different.

After about five years of use, those trucks start needing quite a few repairs, and those bills rack up. Instead of being able to put those funds toward things that would improve operations such as response time among other things, they have to fix the trucks.

While the initial cost for the six trucks will be approximately $13 million, it will ultimately save the fire department more than that in the long run. Repairs on firetrucks are expensive, and have way more than just a normal passenger car that needs to be fixed.

The new firetrucks will be built to the fire departments specifications, so they'll be equipped with everything that they need. The first set of trucks will be delivered in approximately 18 months.