Downey purchases new fire vehicles

DOWNEY – The Downey City Council on Tuesday approved the purchase of three rescue vehicles – two ambulances and a command vehicle – to replace aging units currently in use by Downey Fire Department.

The new command vehicle will be purchased from National Auto Fleet Group for a total of $186,903, replacing a 21-year-old 2001 model vehicle currently used as a reserve unit.

Downey Fire maintains two units, one frontline and one reserve. The frontline vehicle is in service every day.

The reserve unit is utilized when the frontline vehicle is in need of maintenance and repair or has responded to an emergency beyond the city’s borders for an extended amount of time.

Upon delivery, the new apparatus will become the frontline unit, and the current frontline vehicle shall become the reserve.

Similarly, the city will also replace a 19-year-old ambulance with 148,000 miles, and a 14-year-old ambulance with 148,000 miles that are currently used in reserve, spending $578,491.90 to do so.

Much like with the command vehicle, upon arrival the two units will be designated for frontline use, with two current frontline ambulances then designated for reserve.

Council members approved the purchases unanimously.

In the fiscal year 2019-2020, Downey firefighters responded to 10,019 calls for service, up from 8,920 in 2010.