CARSTAIRS - The Town of Carstairs has spent $20,000 to purchase a used fire truck unit from the Olds Fire Department to be used by the Carstairs Fire Department.
The town's chief administrative officer Rick Blair says the vehicle will be converted for use as a medical response unit.
At its regular meeting on Feb. 28, Mountain View County considered the request from the Carstairs Fire Department for purchase of the vehicle, which was co-owned by the county and the Town of Olds.
“I am pleased to inform you that council has agreed to purchase/transfer of the apparatus to the (Carstairs) department,” Chris Atchison, director of legislative services with the county, said in a letter received by Carstairs council.
The county will leave the coordination of the purchase to the Town of Carstairs and will provide any further assistance needed, he said.
“As this acquisition will increase the fleet for the department, I would ask that schedule A of the fire services agreement (among the parties) be updated to reflect this decision,” he said. “If the town intends within the 2024 year to have further conversations about the fleet of the fire department that may require other consideration, I am supportive of waiting to update the schedule until this discussions are concluded.”
The renovation of the vehicle into a medical response unit will be undertaken by the Carstairs department at minimal cost, said Blair.