Sikeston DPS to get new pumper, equipment

SIKESTON — Sikeston Department of Public Safety will be getting a new fire engine along with new rescue equipment and a new report management system.

On Monday, Sikeston City Council approved the purchase of a 2022 E-One Cyclone Rescue Pumper for $928,000. The money for the purchase was allotted from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, of which Sikeston DPS was allowed $1 million to spend on new apparatus.

Sikeston DPS Capt. Derick Wheetley said the time is now to buy the pumper as costs are increasing 13% a quarter.

While the purchase was approved, it will be some time before the pumper arrives. Wheetley said three weeks ago it was expected in 16 months and now it is about 19 months from delivery.

“The issue with that, they claim, is for chassis and wiring harness,” Wheetley said.

When the pumper does arrive, it will be housed at Station 2 and run a primary crew to every call.

“That truck is ran a lot,” Wheetley said.

The current pumper at Station 2 will move to Station 3 and the pumper at Station 3, which is a 1992 pumper, will be kept as a reserve by DPS which will help with the City’s ISO rating.

“We didn’t go crazy but we did put together a truck that should last the 25 year life span,” Wheetley said.

DPS recently purchased a 2002 E-One 95-foot platform aerial that should be in Sikeston in the next several weeks.

Hydraulic rescue equipment

Sikeston DPS will be more prepared for a structural collapse after Council approved the purchase of hydraulic rescue equipment for $32,367.45. The amount is covered completely by a Region Homeland Security Oversight Committee (RHSOC) grant that Sikeston DPS was awarded in the amount of $32,442.97.

The tools purchased were:

• 90-pound Stanley hydraulic breaker

• Stanley core drill

• Stanley hammer drill

• Stanley hydraulic chain saw

• Stanley twin hydraulic power unit.

The equipment would be vital if a disaster were to happen in Sikeston, like a major earthquake.

The equipment is also the same as the fire departments in Cape Girardeau and Jackson which would also help in the event of a disaster as all firefighters would be trained to use the same equipment.

New report management system for Fire Division

Council also approved the purchase of report management software for $15,665 for a first-time setup and 12-month term and a yearly rate of $12,840 each year.

Wheetley said DPS has always used Firehouse for the reporting system but they were bought out a year and a half ago by ESO and the system DPS currently uses will no longer be in effect after 2022.

The software provides:

• vehicle inspection, management and training checklist

• fire incident reporting

• fire properties

• CAD integration

• NFIRS date import

• IFC 2018-National Code set

• setup and online training

“This will also give code enforcement access to keep up with the structure fires,” Wheetley said. “Sometimes it gets missed in translation from us and them getting busy. So we will set them up on this program as well.”

Wheetley said he felt this was the best route as ESO could provide all the options they wanted while other companies had higher rates with less details.