County approves funds for Marshall fire equipment | News, Sports, Jobs

MARSHALL — A plan to replace the Marshall Fire Department’s existing ladder truck and other firefighting equipment received support from Lyon County last week. County commissioners approved up to $200,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding to help pay for the truck and two skid units for fighting grass fires.

Marshall Fire Chief Quentin Brunsvold and Public Safety Director Jim Marshall presented the ARPA funding request at the Dec. 8 county board meeting. The fire department currently has a 1994 aerial ladder truck, which is planned to be replaced in 2025.

In October, the Marshall City Council approved a bid proposal for a new ladder truck at $1.47 million.

Besides the ARPA funding request, Brunsvold and Marshall said they were also seeking other funding sources, like an American Firefighters Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Having an aerial apparatus was important both for fire response and for technical rescues, Brunsvold said. In some incidents, the apparatus is used to produce an elevated water stream. One example was during the Southwest Coaches fire in 2018, he said.

In addition, Brunsvold said the fire department was also replacing two skid units used for fighting grass or brush fires. The skid units mainly get used outside of the city of Marshall. The existing units were nearly 30 years old. The Marshall Fire Department had received a bid for new skid units at $32,850.

Commissioners voted to approve the request of up to $200,000 in funding for the fire truck and skid units.

“I think that’s a really good show of support for the city of Marshall,” Marshall City Administrator Sharon Hanson said Tuesday in an update to the city council.