The town is thinking about donating an aging fire truck to the Olds Rotary Club, which in turn would send the vehicle to a poor village in Mexico.
During a presentation to the Olds Fire Department's delegation to the policies and priorities committee, Chief Lorne Thompson said the truck does not hold any value.
"We're not going to get anything for it. If we were to try and trade it in on the next vehicle, they would basically raise the price to cover what they gave us. If they gave us $5,000, they'd just raise the truck price 5,000 bucks."
The proposed destination is a remote village near Puerto Vallarta, said town chief administrative officer Norm McInnis. A fire truck was identified as one of the village's needs. The donation would be made through the Rotary Club's Adopt a Village program.
"Personally, I think donating this truck to the Rotary would be a great thing to do … they've done a great amount of stuff for the fire department," Thompson said.
However, council approval is needed. McInnis added Mountain View County would also have to agree.
In the past, the fire department had sold a similar truck for $2,000 by auction, Thompson said. It had also given one to the parks and recreation department to water plants until it caught on fire.
Coun. Mary Jane Harper said the truck in question holds residual value and asked if the recipient village would be well-served with a vehicle that isn't in optimal condition.
McInnis said underwriters in Alberta won't allow the town to use the truck for firefighting because of liability concerns. However, the village in Mexico doesn't have the same standards.
The committee asked administration to return with an asset disposal policy that specifies what happens when a piece of equipment like the truck has reached the end of its lifespan.
"I agree the Rotary Club has done good things for the fire department. Reciprocating this is not a huge cost to the town so I have no problems with this one particular truck. But I also agree the town needs a disposal policy," said Coun. Harvey Walsh.
"Personally, I think donating this truck to the Rotary would be a great thing to do ... they've done a great amount of stuff for the fire department." LORNE THOMPSON, fire chief
