In response to the July 7, 2010 letter in the Auburn Reporter by Jeanne Herold, I wanted to share the facts about the purchase and acquisition of the Valley Regional Fire Authority ladder truck.

While the letter, written by a disgruntled former employee, leads readers to believe the purchase of this ladder truck was without consideration of need and cost – that could not be further from the truth. When the VRFA was formed and the consolidation of assets occurred, it was apparent we were missing an important firefighting tool – an “aerial apparatus” or ladder truck. The community had owned a ladder truck at one time, but it was not replaced when it was retired.

With their many apartment buildings and warehouses, the communities of Algona, Auburn and Pacific had a demonstrated need. In fact, the Washington Surveying and Rating Bureau (WSRB), the organization that assesses risk and rates capability of fire suppression for insurance companies, noted this deficiency during its last rating.

The ladder truck was included in our capital bond issue, which was overwhelmingly approved by the voters in February 2008, in an effort to position ourselves to more effectively fight fires and deliver emergency medical assistance to the service area.

Firefighters conducted a community assessment to identify the needs and capabilities of a new truck. The specifications were created by a team of firefighters and a public bid process was conducted. We received several proposals and the “most responsive and responsible bid” was received by General Fire Apparatus of Spokane for the Rosenbauer Metz apparatus. While the ladder portion of the apparatus is a German product, the truck is manufactured in Wyoming, Minn., with a very strong Detroit diesel engine and Allison transmission.

While fire engines and ladder trucks are expensive capital purchases, the life span for this apparatus is approximately 15-20 years. The VRFA was pleased that our negotiated final cost for the ladder truck was nearly $100,000.00 below our estimated price the voters approved, at just over one million dollars.

With our investment in the proper equipment, staffing, station locations, and water availability, we hope to improve our rating with the WSRB, which will ultimately reduce the homeowner and commercial insurance rates for the citizens we serve.

Our goal at the VRFA is to have the necessary equipment at strategically located stations, with our highly trained professional firefighter/EMT staff in a position to respond to your emergency as quickly as possible – and always in the most cost effective manner.

Reach Eric E. Robertson, Valley Regional Fire Authority administrator, at eric.robertson@vrfa.org.