Fire Department "Chief's Truck" Maverick Build

[TomD]

Yep I see that one almost every time I drive through Meridian. Their Fire Department actually has multiple Mavericks.

This looks very good. Where I live the police department should have a couple hybrids. They wouldn’t use so much gas monitoring the many speed traps. The recreation department has a couple they use to monitor the parks.

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[SdM702]

New Chiefs Truck for Meridian, ID Fire Department, built by Hughes Fire Equipment our of Springfield, OR.

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This is a beautiful truck and the town/city of Meridian, ID has nothing to answer for in the purchase of this vehicle. Instead of celebrating this custom build others can ONLY find fault in EVERYTHING! It's tiring to hear the sniping quite honestly! I have been the fiscal officer for EMS (police) in the past, and proudly without EVER going over budget. I/we were good stewards of the citizen's money. -This 'build' didn't happen overnight, but had to have gone through some kind of capital expenditure review and approval process before even being ordered. These naysayers also didn't appear to have taken into consideration that some fire departments are not funded in part or whole by a local government but have to rely on donations, grants, and other funding sources.

Again, this is a beautiful vehicle, and I wish the Chief and his staff my prayers to be safe.

 

[marskren]

New Chiefs Truck for Meridian, ID Fire Department, built by Hughes Fire Equipment our of Springfield, OR.

VIDEO:

LOVE THIS! Congrats, Chief!

 

[CTYankee]

Lmao, these dudes risk their lives regularly, and some people want to penny pinch in a vehicle they will spend a zillion hours in. First thoughts being " I am glad that isn't my tax dollars" is kind of disgusting.

I am glad I don't live in your area.

I don't give anyone a blank check because of the job they do, but I will give them what they need to do the job. Sure, they could have spent a bunch more but I want the taxpayers to know I will pinch every penny our small (population 13K) town takes from them.

Right now, our fire department has a bunch of people ticked off at them because they sold the taxpayers on a brand new Fire HQ for $1.8M, claiming that the current HQ was unsafe (it is) and couldn't be renovated. Now that the new HQ is being built, all of sudden there is talk about what other use can be made of the (unsafe) HQ building. A lot of folks are feeling like we got taken for a ride. In the midst of that discussion, a firefighter made the "we risk our lives so don't penny pinch" argument. That didn't go down to well as people are looking at the willingness of public employees to spend taxpayers money.

So I ask hard questions of everyone and push back on anything that seems like it's more than absolutely needed. Sometimes I prevail and sometimes I don't and that's OK. At least the questions got asked and answered.

 

[CTYankee]

XLT is still under 30K where are you going to find something that cheap! They could have bought a F150 for 60K then what would you say?

I would have voted No on that purchase, if it was proposed in my town.

 

[CTYankee]

To be accurate, those are not Lariat specific wheels. Those are the wheels you were required to switch to if you chose the 235/65 Wildpeak tire option (which it looks like they did). Ford did not let you keep the standard black FX4 wheel when you optioned that tire size. If they had a legit need for FX4 related stuff, I could see why they switched to the Wildpeaks and ended up with that wheel bc the Pirelli on the regular FX4 wheel was trash and not at all capable in inclement conditions or off pavement. Not justifying either way as I have never seen this thing move from its Pavement Princess spot at Meridian City Hall.

I didn't know that those wheels could be had on anything other than a Lariat. Good to know. Mine was purchased off the dealers lot as a refused order (no ADM) so I never went through the ordering process.

 

[Barracuda340]

QUOTE="DBHorbert, post: 697839, member: 19806"]
Don’t think it’s Lariat, but does seem to have the BAP. I’m not opposed to public spending, I struggle when it’s wasteful spending though. Maybe an argument could be made that it’s about some sort of marketing.

edit - doesn’t even seem to have the BAP, just the BAP grill.
[/QUOTE]

Normal XLT grille and grille bar.

 

[OXHB619]

I don't give anyone a blank check because of the job they do, but I will give them what they need to do the job. Sure, they could have spent a bunch more but I want the taxpayers to know I will pinch every penny our small (population 13K) town takes from them.

Right now, our fire department has a bunch of people ticked off at them because they sold the taxpayers on a brand new Fire HQ for $1.8M, claiming that the current HQ was unsafe (it is) and couldn't be renovated. Now that the new HQ is being built, all of sudden there is talk about what other use can be made of the (unsafe) HQ building. A lot of folks are feeling like we got taken for a ride. In the midst of that discussion, a firefighter made the "we risk our lives so don't penny pinch" argument. That didn't go down to well as people are looking at the willingness of public employees to spend taxpayers money.

So I ask hard questions of everyone and push back on anything that seems like it's more than absolutely needed. Sometimes I prevail and sometimes I don't and that's OK. At least the questions got asked and answered.

Well we can agree to disagree. I 100% understand spending accountability but this is a whole different level.

To be blunt, treating the purchase of a mid trim of the literal cheapest pickup on the market like it is NASA ordering $20,000 gold plated toilet seat to me, is insanity.

Volunteer departments struggle, so it is important to make things lucrative for people to donate their time. Career departments need to be pay competitive, and not buy the absolute bare minimum of everything, or they will quickly be a revolving door for people to get trained, then move to a better department.

My first department I volunteered at, lost the Satellite TV. There was no OTA. Guess what ? People quit spending time there, especially when sports were on, and this led to longer response times, and less people being involved. But some number cruncher, decided that "WhY Do ThEy NeEd Tv?!"

In college I worked at a FD that we literally had no officer on our shift, because the raise was 15 cents an hour, and no one wanted the BS that comes with the title for that compensation. People only stayed for the benefits, anyone else with talent left ASAP for a better department.

I am no longer in the fire service, but I have no issue with whatever minimal portion of my taxes goes to cover anything reasonable that increases the quality of life for someone that is sacrificing their body and mind daily for usually what is OK compensation but nothing stellar.

 

[CTYankee]

Well we can agree to disagree. I 100% understand spending accountability but this is a whole different level.

To be blunt, treating the purchase of a mid trim of the literal cheapest pickup on the market like it is NASA ordering $20,000 gold plated toilet seat to me, is insanity.

Volunteer departments struggle, so it is important to make things lucrative for people to donate their time. Career departments need to be pay competitive, and not buy the absolute bare minimum of everything, or they will quickly be a revolving door for people to get trained, then move to a better department.

My first department I volunteered at, lost the Satellite TV. There was no OTA. Guess what ? People quit spending time there, especially when sports were on, and this led to longer response times, and less people being involved. But some number cruncher, decided that "WhY Do ThEy NeEd Tv?!"

In college I worked at a FD that we literally had no officer on our shift, because the raise was 15 cents an hour, and no one wanted the BS that comes with the title for that compensation. People only stayed for the benefits, anyone else with talent left ASAP for a better department.

I am no longer in the fire service, but I have no issue with whatever minimal portion of my taxes goes to cover anything reasonable that increases the quality of life for someone that is sacrificing their body and mind daily for usually what is OK compensation but nothing stellar.

I'm happy to admit that I probably should have thought about this a bit more deeply before posting but it's a battle I've been recently fighting across departments in town where we see all kinds of wish list stuff at a time when huge projects are being approved and taxes are jumping. Then there's the stuff that could have been planned but suddenly pops up as an emergency need. Pushing back isn't number crunching; just more a case of trying to reinforce proper planning and forecasting.

The Maverick was definitely the wrong battlefield.

 

[FloodingdowninTX]

A Ford Maverick XLT is pretty much "the Ford Taurus of" its genre, IMO. Let the first responders react without right buttcheek ache alluded to on another thread about long camping stints in the XL. (My trim btw).

 

[Maverick Grabber]

Edit - should have watched the video first. I thought those were Lariat wheels. But that really should have been an XL instead of hitting taxpayers with the bill for a higher trim level.

Yikes, they could have bought a bigger entry level truck $$ and gouged them daily for the gasoline.
I think they saved a lot both upfront and in the long term costs

 

[bdaniel230]

New Chiefs Truck for Meridian, ID Fire Department, built by Hughes Fire Equipment our of Springfield, OR.

VIDEO:

I am going to have to keep my eye out for that one. I have to drive through Meridian twice a day going to work on chinden and 5 mile from Middleton. I have seen a few more Mav's since I bought min in January of 22 but that is pretty cool that the chief has a Mav decked out with the MFD badges.

 

[JBryant]

Normal MTC stuff. People would complain if someone gave them $5 million - because it was not $6 million. Beautiful truck and glad FD has multiple Mavericks. I am sure those who are negative have some things at their house that other people would consider not needed.

Let people spend their money (including cities) how they want to spend it.

 

[Old Ford Guy]

New Chiefs Truck for Meridian, ID Fire Department, built by Hughes Fire Equipment our of Springfield, OR.

VIDEO:

that is the COOLEST thing i've seen in a long time!!

 

[thev8man]

New Chiefs Truck for Meridian, ID Fire Department, built by Hughes Fire Equipment our of Springfield, OR.

VIDEO:

Booyah

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