A used fire tanker will join Smiths Falls Fire Department’s fleet.
Town council agreed to purchase the tanker from neighbouring Rideau Lakes for slightly more than $16,000 at a meeting on March 2.
Its addition will allow the department to maintain adequate fire protection in areas of Smiths Falls that have minimal flow and are not protected by pressurized fire hydrants, according to a report from fire chief Rick Chesebrough.
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The purchase follows the termination of a 2005 automatic aid and fire protection service agreement between Smiths Falls and Rideau Lakes.
The agreement will officially end this December, halting the town’s services to the South Elmsley ward. As part of the agreement, the two municipalities each put $35,000 toward purchasing a used cab and chassis, which was installed on a newer tanker unit.
Evaluations of the tanker differed between the town and township, with Smiths Falls ranging from $3,500 to $5,500 and Rideau Lakes anywhere from $35,000 to $38,500. The town could purchase the tanker for the average value assessment.
While the true average was $20,800, the municipalities agreed to $16,000 for a total of $16,281 with non-rebatable HST.
A tanker replacement was something Chesebrough said was long overdue during early 2026 budget discussions. “It’s been deferred over the last five years,” he then told council. “It’s now time to turn around and get the vehicle to provide the level of service and protection that the residents have come to expect.”
The final budget saw $550,000 approved for the replacement, on top of $200,000 that had already been put aside for the tanker the year before. The report indicated the used vehicle from Rideau Lakes would allow for continued service until the new one was ordered and delivered.
Purchasing the used tanker proved to be better cost savings than leasing. At $1,200 per month and a possible 14-month delivery time, Chesebrough said the town would be paying something in the ballpark of what they would be looking at to purchase it.