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Monday, March 09, 2009

Surplus Truck 16 & Equipment

Memo


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As previously posted Truck 16 has been sold to Pittsville VFD for the sweet low price of $5,500.00. John Pick stated this would provide an increase of $5,500.00 to the General Fund. I don't know how it's possible to realize a net gain of $5,500.00 on the sale of the truck when it has been said it cost over $5,000.00 for a brake job on old Truck 16. Tell me again Mr. Pick, how much of a net gain will the city realize from the sale of this truck or could there actually be a net loss?

Not long ago Joe mentioned the truck was to be surplussed but the equipment was not listed as surplus, however, SFD and the administration being what it is, decided they were going to sell all of the equipment with the truck for the sweet sum of $5500.00 without the approval of the council. The council approved the truck being moved into surplus NOT the equipment. Only in Salisbury can you buy a fire truck with an engine that is barely broken in (38,844 miles), fully equipped with all that you see listed in the photos above for the low, low price of FREE or nearly free after the City of Salisbury pays for the brake job.

The equipment listed by Chief David See as surplus has got to be worth at least $20,000, wouldn't you think? But hey, Chief See is retiring and he is such a nice guy, he'll go along with giving this fully equipped truck away for free to Pittsville VFD. I know those fellows over there really appreciate the generosity of SFD and SVFD. After all, Chief See says its the vollies that want all new equipment. Actually, it is the Volunteer Executive Board aka Deputy Chief Gordy and others. Has anyone asked the volunteers if this is how they want their money spent? I'd bet not. Mr. Pick, how much of an increase to the General Fund would be realized by the sale of this equipment?

The big question is, how many other fire trucks were surplussed and sold fully equipped without council approval? How many other trucks were given away, fully equipped, free of charge or nearly free?

Remember folks, Gary (Choo Choo) Comegys voted for the sale of this surplussed truck knowing the equipment was going with the truck for the low low price of FREE or nearly free.

Does Salisbury need a forensic auditor to go through the books? Theft is theft, what makes this any different than the theft of motor oil, tires and other equipment from the County? The difference is the County was able to recoup some of their equipment, we can't.

46 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gary = Barrie = Scary

Anonymous said...

Looks like they still don't know about e-bay yet!

Anonymous said...

Salisville? Pittsbury? IDIOTS.

Anonymous said...

Debbie Campbell brought these items up in a work session and they tried to undermine her by selling them with the truck. I personally believe this is a criminal act and they should be arrested.

Anonymous said...

This is many thousands of dollars worth of equipment. And, what, upgrade sawblades, ropes, sledgehammers? Why????Brass hose fittings are brass fittings. They are made of brass to last a very long time, and they are VERY expensive!

Anonymous said...

5:20 you ask a very good question when you ask WHY. Go to the council meeting tonight and ask Barrie Tilghman and her administration that same question. BTW...don't count on an answer tonight, Louise will get back to you on that. Don't let that stop you, go ask your question and get on record for having asked. Beats sitting around doing nothing about it.

Anonymous said...

Will someone please ask the council how much it is costing us to have Pittsville take this truck off our hands?

Anonymous said...

Pray tell me , why do you replace
a sledge hammer, axe , pick or
many of the other metal tools .
I know they never wear out!
What a sick bunch of idiots!

Anonymous said...

When Salisbury Annexes through Parsonsburg and Pittsville they will have the truck back. Then they can re surplus it and sell it again. This time with your blessings , on ebay without the tools.

Anonymous said...

you want new tools for a new truck

Anonymous said...

When you buy a $50,000 suv, do you take the floor mats out of your $5,000 P.O.S. No, you get new ones. Yes some of the tools were fairly new, and could have been used on the tower. However the tools were bought with the volunteer money, they got plenty of it to spend.

Anonymous said...

5:43 I'd rather have new department heads for the new fire palace. These old ones have passed the age of usefulness.

Anonymous said...

If the volunteers have so much money then they should separate from the city and service the county...you know, those of us that fund SVFD.

We called for an ambulance Friday night. We live on the west side of town. Guess who sent their crew? It damn sure wasn't Salisbury. I'll remember that when those letters come out asking for donations this year. My money will go to HEBRON, the ones that came to our aid.

Anonymous said...

5:59 salisbury fd does not ask for donation nor do they have fund raisers. The county needs to never give Salisbury VFD any more money. They recive over $300,000 a year from they county that they can not spend on any thing of importants. It is not only city tax payers hurting here, it is also the county tax payers.

Anonymous said...

The volunteers HAD money until Gordo got his hands on it. Neither station has much left or in the future. Everything he sees, he wants and comes begging to the volunteers. The volunteers are in debt for a firehouse, ladder trucks and engines for a long time.

Anonymous said...

This is why I don't want to see Comegy, Tilghman, Shields or any of the other scoundrels ever hold office again.

How many times have you exposed WASTE, FRAUD, AND ABUSE of TAXPAYERS MONEY under this administration.

THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE DISGRACE!

Anonymous said...

to get the facts straight salisbury will never annex pittsville it will only stop at the pittsville limits, for pittsvill is their own municipality and governs their own town with its own commissioners. And if you been reading and listening SFD has not and are not having any repairs done to tk 16

Anonymous said...

They might not be paying to fix truck 16 but they just voted to pay Pittsville to take it off their hands, in the form of about $15 grand in equipment. Way to go Pittsville, I'd take that deal too.

Next on my agenda is to write Rick Pollitt and ask him to decrease the amount of money paid to the Volunteers. It's only wasted on the city.

Cowboy said...

I totally agreed the "Iron Horse" he really used the city's money...for what? The renovations of his stores? Of course, after the wonderful job he did on his firehouse?!! Was it all worth it?

Anonymous said...

I love the statement that the city didn't buy it, the volunteers did. Well where do you think they got the money ? They dont have fund raisers or carnivals, so how did they get it. The answer is the county and Rick Pilot should be asking himself what the hell did they say ? They just shot themselves in the foot and Rick should cut them back in the budget. These poor little spoiled wanabees have to have everthing new. While the rest of us are strugling to keep afloat, theyre getting all new tools. I can see now why people have such bad feelings for salisbury.

Anonymous said...

I give AC Hampshire credit. He took the time to personally show Ms Campbell what a haligan bar was and speak on its durability. The man speaks the truth and Ms Campbell listened.

Anonymous said...

John Pick is starting to look like Shanie, like he can barely stay awake at council meetings. He needs to go and so does Chambers. Clean house.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
you want new tools for a new truck

5:43 PM

Why? Please explain or we will know you are a retarded redneck FARMIN!

Please explain.

Come on now we are waiting, please explain.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
When you buy a $50,000 suv, do you take the floor mats out of your $5,000 P.O.S. No, you get new ones. Yes some of the tools were fairly new, and could have been used on the tower. However the tools were bought with the volunteer money, they got plenty of it to spend.

5:51 PM

We are not talking about a $50,000 SUV we are talking about a work truck. This is not an Escalade or Navigator so give it a rest. Do you live in the city and pay taxes? No. I didn't think you did.

It's the volunteer's money? WTF! No my friend it is our money the tax paying citizens of Wicomico County. If the volunteers have plenty of money to spend then maybe the Wicomico County Council and Rick Pollitt need to give that money back to the tax payers.

Anonymous said...

Iron Horse said...
The volunteers HAD money until Gordo got his hands on it. Neither station has much left or in the future. Everything he sees, he wants and comes begging to the volunteers. The volunteers are in debt for a firehouse, ladder trucks and engines for a long time.

6:18 PM

That's right Gordo has the check book.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
I give AC Hampshire credit. He took the time to personally show Ms Campbell what a haligan bar was and speak on its durability. The man speaks the truth and Ms Campbell listened.

8:27 PM

HUH!!

Anonymous said...

"However the tools were bought with the volunteer money, they got plenty of it to spend.

5:51 PM"

Nice. So let's rape the taxpayers AND the volunteers. Great attitude.

So for every new shovel they buy, that's that many dollars that DON'T go for something they -- and the people they serve who are taxed and donate -- really need.

Anonymous said...

they know about ebay allright

Anonymous said...

9:09-

What is the point of your post?

Anonymous said...

9:56 --

If "they know about ebay" why don't they use it?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
9:09-

What is the point of your post?

9:58 PM

Who is AC Hampshire and when did that happen?

Tidewaterbound said...

Pittsville residents say a big "THANK YOU!"

Hey, sometimes our little podunk town needs the good stuff!

I can tell you, as a twice caller to 911 for emergency care for hubby to the hospital, they've been wonderful.

So, Thank You Salisbury for the great buy, and Thank You Pittsville for the savvy to snap it up!

Anonymous said...

for safety and consistancy in our tools. You've worn out that safety routine shorty. Just how light are those new haligans, fans and saws. Theres no difference. Tell that s**t to somebody that believes it. You've told so many that your starting to believe it yourself

Anonymous said...

WOW I could start my own truck company with all that equipment, what a steal. The equipment that went with the truck is worth more than the truck

Anonymous said...

Hampshire spoke to Ms Campbell when she rode Medic 2 last week. He told her about the wasteful spending and how the Station 2 volunteers were being forced to spend their money.

Anonymous said...

10:33-

Call Ms. Campbell and ask her if you really want to know, which I doubt.

Anonymous said...

So, howya gonna vote?
For a continuation of this spend it like water stupidity, or with some responsibility in mind?
Tell all your friends.

Anonymous said...

5:43 that was perhaps the most ridiculous thing I've heard in quite some time. "You want new tools for a new truck" I wanted larger tires and rims for my new truck but it would be a waste of money. See the difference? The ones that came with it worked perfectly fine. Just because I wanted them didn't mean I got them. I have to be responsible with my money and live within my means. This Fire Department, and apparently you, don't have any idea what that means. How can ANYONE justify purchasing new equipment when there wasn't anything wrong with the old equipment - Regardless of the condition of the economy. It's called "fiscal responsibility". Look it up. It's also called being a responsible steward of the taxpayers money. It was precisely that spend, spend, spend mindset that caused people to band together and put a 2% property tax revenue cap in place in the county. Now the County Government is forced to function with very limited growth - sometimes to the point of being detrimental to the good of the county. But it was what was needed at the time. What's it gonna take for the City to brings it's frivolous spending into check? A new Administration - from the top down. Tilghman, Pick, Oland, Chambers, and See. The word of the day is "accountability".

Anonymous said...

The SFD should have the decency to tell the FFs in Pittsville that those tools are worn out and unsafe, and some are too heavy as well. Aren't all FF's "family"?

Anonymous said...

If the tools are unsafe and outdated they need to be going to the dump so the firemen in Pittsville arent getting hurt by the outdated unsafe tools

Anonymous said...

9:04 pm I know that we are not talking about a $50,000 suv. We are talking about a 1.2 million dollar truck, all the more why you would want new, better tools. However i would also have not let the old tools go with the truck. What is an extra $15,000 at this point, and again the volunteers paid for it. They could have been keep for reserve, because tools do break. This is how most new trucks, or engines get outfitted in this county.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if any of you folks would be complaining if this truck was the one that saved you (with it's new equipment); as a side note, was this thing purchased with city money or vol. money?

Anonymous said...

That's a ton of equipment.. Any FD would pay more than 5500 for that alone! They "forgot" to say it was included? This IS criminal. There should be a separate sale for the tools! Can you imagine how much they could bring at public auction?

Anonymous said...

In the original bid packet the equipment listed was as going with the truck for one price and the list posted here was included in every bid packet. So ALL departmetns that were interested in this truck had the chance to see what came with the truck period.

Anonymous said...

Cost to replace that equipment: $41,000.00

Chimera said...

Brass doesnt decay quickly-The Titanic has been at the bottom of the North Atlantic for dang near a century and the brass fittings on her are still intact so...
And for the bargain basement price the buyer is getting,let them do their own brake job!!!