Whitehorse city council has agreed to increase the budget for a new rescue pumper truck.
The purchase was originally budgeted in 2012 at $675,000 - that amount would have covered the truck itself and a set of specialized rescue tools. But the vendor is U.S.-based Safetek Emergency Vehicles, and with the Canadian dollar’s value dropping since October, the price has since risen to $721,150.
Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Lyslo told councillors that postponing the purchase would likely result in the cost of the truck rising even further. Council approved a $65,000 budget increase, to cover the price change and a 2.5 per cent contingency buffer.