Equipment, New & Used

Once again Albero wishes to compare apples to oranges concerning the equipment used by the WCSO and the Salisbury Fire Department. What he fails to realize is that in his effort to belittle the SFD administration and it's policy his own words help make the case for their behalf.

The "Urban Assault Command Post Vehicle" as Albero calls it is really a Mobile Command Unit used on scenes where extended operations may or will be needed for scene mitigation or investigation. Albero has provided the dates for 2 such incidents in the last year.
The vehicle was the Wicomico County Book Mobile and became available to the WCSO when a new vehicle was purchased for that use about a year ago. Now I certainly do not begrudge the WCSO a vehicle for such use as I am aware of the importance of such. If Sheriff Lewis had seen fit to request a new vehicle for such an important role with-in his department I doubt many people would have complained about that. The fact Sheriff Lewis decided the used vehicle could provide for the need is also commendable.

In another post Albero shows us a photo of a 1987 Hahn Pumper for sale by a volunteer company. By the photo the piece looks to be well taken care of and seems to be in good shape. However, how do you know? Why would the SFD consider buying a piece of equipment that is already 20+ years old? How much use does it see at Station 40? If it is in such fine piece of equipment as Albero can obviously tell by one picture, why is Station 40 replacing it? I can promise you this piece would see more action in Salisbury in a few months than the WCSO mobile command unit will see in a year and in situations a lot less taxing. I certainly don't envision the command unit running lights and sirens several times a week, or even a month to investigate a homicide. Nor it will not sit for hours on end with the motor at a high RPM pumping water. In general it will not receive the harsh use a fire engine will.

As I said earlier, I do not begrudge the WCSO the unit at all. All I am saying is you can't really compare usage with the fire department. Albero said himself it won't be used that often. If that is indeed the case then a used vehicle may well be the answer for the need. Also, transfering a vehicle from one department to another is certainly a far cry from purchasing what may be somebody elses problem. If used is such a grand idea in the total picture why didn't the library look for a used vehicle to use as a new Book Mobile? Why also did Albero purchase a new 2008 Toyota recently? Isn't there some 20 year pick-ups out there somewhere?

And would somebody please explain to me how is the Sheriff's Department "Getting a return on it's money" with the command unit. I didn't know they were in business to make money.