Two propositions on Anchorage’s April ballot could help AFD catch-up on new apparatuses.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Anchorage voters will decide on two propositions tied to the city’s fire department when they submit their ballot for the April 7 municipal election. Those propositions are number six and seven.
Both propositions, the Anchorage Fire Department said, are the results of an aging fleet.If passed — Proposition 6, an area-wide bond — there would be a tax increase for every property owner in the municipality. Proposition 7, however, only applies to the Anchorage fire service areas. It would only affect property owners in the Anchorage Fire Service Area — not in Girdwood, Chugiak or other areas outside the Service Area. “We have our entire fleet of fire apparatus that are on the road every day,” Fire Chief Doug Schrage, with AFD, said. “In order to keep our fleet reliable, in service, and effective, we have to replace pieces of equipment periodically.” If the propositions are approved, AFD said it would allow the department to have a responsible replacement plan by having reliable backup vehicles ready to go. “If the rig is here in the shop and there’s not an adequate replacement available for reserve use, we have to put them in some kind of utility vehicle,” Schrage said. “That doesn’t necessarily serve the intended purpose.”AFD said it is dealing with an aging fleet. Schrage said 8 to 10 of the department’s roughly 35 heavy trucks are past their expected 25-year lifespan. Traditionally, he said, apparatuses serve 15 years in frontline service — meaning they are the vehicles firefighters use daily. After 15 years of service, depending on the usage, the vehicles are then retired to a reserve status. “Meaning that they are then available to be used when one of the frontline pieces of equipment is being serviced,” Schrage said. “So, in order to keep every piece of equipment within about 15 years of frontline service and 25 years of reserve service, we have to refresh, we have to replace the older ones. And that’s what this proposition is about.” Call volumes have surged recently, meaning vehicles are seeing a higher usage. The department is responding to 50 to 60 percent more calls than a decade ago, with the same number of crews and equipment.Schrage said the department is catching up on the need for new apparatuses after ordering six engines, one for Girdwood and five for Anchorage, in 2022. “We are not to the point where we’re getting ahead. We are still catching up,” Schrage said. “There were some years, over the past decade or more, when there weren’t bond propositions on the ballot for various reasons. And we fell behind. And we ended up with an aged, unreliable fleet.” The department has replaced about one-fifth of its fleet in the last two years. The department said it is expecting delivery of five new engines within the next few weeks. ‘Every fiber of me wishes I could change it all’: Veteran musher posts tribute to dog who died during IditarodRestoring a rare piece of Alaska aviation history
AFD FOCUSED PROPOSITIONS ANCHORAGE ELECTION ANCHORAGE ELECTION WHAT IS ON THE ANCHORAGE 2026 BALLOT ANCHORAGE BALLOT 2026 ANCHORAGE ELECTION 2026 ANCHORAGE FIRE DEPARTMENT FUNDING WHAT PROPOSITIONS ARE ON THE ANCHORAGE 2026 BALLOT ANCHORAGE FIRE DEPARTMETN ANCHORAGE FIRE DEPARTMENT ANCHORAGE FIRE DEPARTMENT AGING FLEET WHY IS ANCHORAGE FIRE DEPARTMENT SEEING AN AGING F
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
UPDATE: Stephen Earl Drive fire 80% contained, Harrison County fire chief saysFire crews from Harrison County Fire Rescue (HCFR) and Jackson County Fire Protection (JCFP) are battling a fire on Stephen Earl Road in Vancleave on Saturday as critical conditions prompted a Red Flag Advisory for the area.
Read more »
Fast-moving Mesa apartment fire displaces about 25 people, fire officials sayA fast-moving fire damaged multiple units at a Mesa apartment complex on Sunday, displacing about 25 people.
Read more »
Sunny Fire burns 12 Napa County acres, a pre-April rarity in Cal Fire areaThe fire was reported Saturday, March 28, off Sunnyside Road in Deer Park. Local Cal Fire officials say it’s the 7th fire to burn at least 10 acres in their jurisdiction since 1950.
Read more »
Sunny Fire scorches 12 acres in Napa: A worrying start to the fire seasonThe fire was reported Saturday off Sunnyside Road in Deer Park. Local Cal Fire officials say it’s the seventh fire to burn at least 10 acres in their jurisdiction since 1950.
Read more »
Austin Fire Department extinguishes grass fire in E AustinAFD responded to a grass fire Sunday evening after receiving the call at around 5:30 p.m.The fire took place at the intersection of Bolm Rd. and Airport Blvd.
Read more »
Oceanside Fire Department creates hand crews for hireBrush clearing program seen as training pipeline for new firefighters
Read more »