CANTON — St. Lawrence County legislators unanimously passed a resolution during Monday’s Finance Committee meeting authorizing the purchase of a new mobile command center vehicle.
The county owns a 2008 Winnebago used as a unified command vehicle for major emergencies, but the life of the vehicle is nearing expiration. The county has sought opportunities to fund a replacement vehicle with updated technology.
Matthew R. Denner, the county’s director of emergency services, said the vehicle has suffered “great deterioration.”
He said the brake system failed about six weeks ago, and the county had to have it towed. At the garage, they were informed it wouldn’t last another two years.
The resolution authorizes the legislature chair to sign a contract with LDV Custom Specialty Vehicles for a replacement mobile command center on a 2022 Freightliner M2 106 Chassis, “which meets the needs of a mobile command center for its use within St. Lawrence County by fire, EMS, law enforcement, and public health department.”
Under the contract, the cost of the vehicle would be $639,669.
According to the resolution, 80% — or $511,735.20 — of the funding will be provided by the COVID-19 Enhanced Detection Grant, which was received by the St. Lawrence County Public Health Department.
The sheriff’s office will pitch in $27,934, and the remaining $100,000 will be paid for by capital project funds through the American Rescue Plan Act.
Mr. Denner said the county needs to have the contract signed by next month to proceed with the project, and expects a delivery date sometime near next March.
He added that the replacement vehicle would need a new multi-band radio, which he predicts will cost roughly $9,000.
He said the department has a diagram of the new vehicle and all of its specs.
The current vehicle, he said, has a waiting list.
“It’s used so much that people are calling up and booking it in advance,” he said.
The resolution will move to the next full board meeting on Aug. 1.
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(2) comments
What!! There is so many law enforcement agencies and personal available. State has these command vehicles right? This county can not afford this. Sheriffs dept has enough. This is bad management and Bigwarf trying to make them like LA county sheriff. Shame on you legislatures
With a 19.4% poverty rate just what SLC needs, a $639K vehicle that other than being a static display at the county fair will rarely get used.
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