The Rapid Response Vehicle (RRV) was approved in principle in October 2020 and again in the special
council meeting on January 28, 2021. Staff have been working on the specifications, design, and
options for this replacement apparatus.
Osoyoos Fire Rescue (OFR) currently has a 1976 F250 Pickup that functions as a Bush Truck. The
RRV will be replacing this apparatus and bringing new technology and options in our department.
The RRV will have an Ultra High-Pressure pump which brings a different fire fighting technology and
tool to OFR. The Ultra High-Pressure system causes smaller water droplets, which increases the
surface area and allows the water to evaporate quickly. This evaporation is what cools the fire gases
and drops the temperatures of the fire compartment.
An RRV expands OFR’s abilities to quickly respond and adapt to different incident conditions. It will
allow OFR to run a smaller truck to some incidents which will lower the overall wear on the larger
apparatus. As the Town of Osoyoos continues to grow, OFR’s call volume will increase and these cost
savings will become larger over the life of this apparatus. This vehicle will give us access to more
properties and allow more of our members to drive an apparatus to the emergency scene. The Rapid
Response Vehicle will provide an option for redundancy in case of our 1997 Rescue truck being out of
service for repairs and maintenance. In combination with one of the Command vehicles, the RRV
could be reconfigured to allow the equipment to be transported to the rescue emergency during the
repairs.
Staff has researched the option of building the apparatus in house. There are cost saving that can be
realized. Once Staff wages were added to the equation, these savings are not as significant as first
thought. This is still an option that can be considered if the RFPs that are returned are not within our budget. Staff may need to negotiate with the successful proponent to delete, substitute, or add options to the proposal.
COVID19 has caused unpredictable delays throughout the supply chain. Staff is asking for early
approval to allow the process to start with the goal to have the RRV delivered during OFR busiest time
of the year for emergency incidents, as the Town population increase with tourists. The RFP will ask
potential suppliers to indicate their anticipated delivery time and from that, we will know if this objective can be achieved. The attached information report shows some examples of apparatus that have been built in BC that are within OFR’s budgeted amount.
Deputy Chiefs Tyler Hilland and Ryan McCaskill met with the Trustees of the Osoyoos Rural Fire Protection District on February 17 to review the proposed purchase of an RRV and answer any questions they may have regarding that. The Trustees confirmed by email later that day that they approved of the purchase and would contribute 50% of the District’s share of the costs from their capital reserves and participate in the 5 year Municipal Finance of Authority of BC (MFA) borrowing to fund the remainder balance.
Photo: Dreamstime, under contract
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