The Wichita Fire Department will benefit from three improvement projects, all of which were approved at Tuesday's Wichita City Council meeting.
The city will replace one firetruck, two engines, a tractor and trailer for search and rescue and two wildland units. The $4.75 million project will be financed through general obligation bonds. Typically, WFD replaces 7 heavy apparatus units every 2 years as the fleet ages.
The department will also replace specialized equipment, like hoses, nozzles, ladders, thermal imaging cameras and rescue tools. General obligation bonds will pay for the $475 thousand project.
The department's alerting system will also get an upgrade. Fire Chief Tammy Snow said the current system is in poor condition, with varying functionality from station to station.
The improvements will support improved call response, emergency operations, and radio system redundancy. The $2.92 million project will be paid for through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding.
Also at Tuesday's meeting, the council passed an ordinance that will create a sustainability integration board.
According to city officials, a 14-member board will be created to advise the city council and city staff on sustainability matters affecting the city's long-term livability and economic vitality. Once the board is created, they will begin drafting environmental adaption and mitigation plans.
A draft ordinance was presented on August 17th, but was deferred to allow more community feedback.
