Press Release - From the Menlo Park Fire District

Effective July 1, 2017, the Menlo Park Fire Protection District will officially put its new million dollar combination Fire Engine/Fire Truck or “Quint” into service at Fire Station 77, located at 1467 Chilco Street in the Belle Haven neighborhood of Menlo Park above Bayfront Expressway and Below Highway 101.

The Quint is specially equipped with a 107 foot aerial ladder (a big change) which is needed to address the taller buildings being built in both Menlo Park and East Palo Alto. From the 11 story Bohannon Gateway Hotel and Office complex to the new ultra-modern Facebook buildings and the multi-story projects now also being proposed in East Palo Alto. The Fire District is experiencing both a building boom and vertical transformation. Fire Station 77’s response area has become ground zero for explosive growth and significant change.

Increased property tax revenues will pay for additional staffing while impact fees will off-set the cost to purchase the new $1 million dollar Quint Fire Truck. The Fire District’s Development Agreement Fund currently has a balance of $479,690. $90,440 from the Gateway Development and $389,250 from Facebook’s most recent development of its building 21, with expectations that the additional construction of a hotel and a multi-story office structure will bring in sufficient funds for the Fire District to reimburse itself for this new apparatus which was needed to accommodate the growth and change.

In April 2017, a community meeting was held at Fire Station 77 in response to residents’ concerns about the proposed expansion of the Fire Station and the potential acquisition of neighboring residential properties. The Fire Chief proposed what he called Option B - which received unanimous community support and essentially said:

• The District would stop all current plans to tear down and rebuild a larger Fire Station 77
• The District would no longer attempt to acquire residential property on Chilco Street or Terminal Avenue • The Chief would work with the City of Menlo Park and Facebook on a potential additional Fire Station site

that would ideally be located in the area of Hamilton Court or M2 areas
• The Fire District would locate a Quint at Station 77 by July 2017 effectively putting an aerial ladder truck east

of Highway 101 per a 2010 Citygate consultants recommendation that expanded Ladder Truck coverage • The District would increase staffing from 3 to 4 personnel per day at Station 77

Fire Chief Schapelhouman said “we are making good on the promises the Fire Board and I have made to the Belle Haven community while looking to the future and planning to get ahead of all of the growth”.

Do I understand the Chief's comments

:Increased property tax revenues will pay for additional staffing while impact fees will off-set the cost to purchase the new $1 million dollar Quint Fire Truck. The Fire District’s Development Agreement Fund currently has a balance of $479,690. $90,440 from the Gateway Development and $389,250 from Facebook’s most recent development of its building 21, with expectations that the additional construction of a hotel and a multi-story office structure will bring in sufficient funds for the Fire District to reimburse itself for this new apparatus which was needed to accommodate the growth and change.

to mean that Facebook and others pay for the 1 time purchase, buy we residential taxpayers will pay for the extra staff forever! In 1 year 4 firemen (with benefits & overhead) will exceed the cost of the new firetruck, Why shouldn't they (the high rises that it was bought for pay for operational costs as well?

"to mean that Facebook and others pay for the 1 time purchase, buy we residential taxpayers will pay for the extra staff forever! "

Don't worry - Facebook and Gateway's property taxes will make a very significant contribution to the Fire District every year.

It's great that we have the ladder truck on this side of 101 but from the Chilco station it will have a hard time reaching the tall buildings that need it many times of day due to traffic congestion. It needs to be kept at a new fire station which should be built where the development is.

Does this mean that there has been no ladder truck at the fire station on University Avenue?

"Does this mean that there has been no ladder truck at the fire station on University Avenue?"

Correct.

Station 2 has a 3 firefighter Engine and a two person Squad.

The station was designed to also accommodate a quint or a ladder truck when the vertical growth in the service area requires that capability.

Thank you for the answer, Peter Carpenter.

It's a Pierce and that's why they paid a million dollars, Pierce trucks are known to be expensive and almost always are out of service or in the repair shop. Good Luck with the new truck.

Joe:

do you have some data or links to back up your claim? A quick google search for pierce fire truck reliability did not turn up anything that would support your claim.

Or are you with a competing manufacturer?

Menlo Voter,
Take a look at the following links then look up the amount of recalls for their apparatus compared to other manufactures. When you buy a Pierce your not buying quality apparatus your buying the name. I did my research.

They also had to pay out 5 million in damages in a Class suit filed by their own employees.

Web Link

Web Link


Joe Smith of Park Forest

The Fire District has had many years of experience with Pierce apparatus and is quite satisfied with their performance and reliability.

Given that Pierce sells well more than 50% of the fire apparatus in the US the single claim against them cited by Joe is statistically insignificant.

Web Link

There seems to be two separate issues here. One is an issue of the quality of the product and does the company back up its warranty policy. The other is a Human Resources/Personnel issue. The latter has been settled. Does anyone know the status of the warranty issue?

Menlo Park fire has owned Quints before. As I recall they were costly and unreliable. Here's a reference from this very newspaper:

Web Link

The previous quints were purchased used by a prior Fire Chief who valued economy over performance.

Roy, Unless I missed it, the link you included does not mention anything about reliability.