Trinidad approves $311,000 fire truck to preserve aerial response

Trinidad City Council unanimously approved a $311,000 fire truck purchase to keep the city from losing a critical aerial firefighting capability if aging equipment fails. The decision protects a specialized response tool for a fire department that has operated in Trinidad since 1891 and now sends 16 career firefighters from two stations on fire, EMS, motor vehicle accidents, hazardous materials and rescue calls.

Fire Chief Dave Bacharach made the case at City Hall on Tuesday, June 16, saying the truck was needed because of equipment breakdowns and insurance concerns. He told council the city could not afford to let the aerial capability disappear, especially in a place where wildland conditions and rural geography make that kind of apparatus far more valuable than a standard engine. If the truck were lost, Trinidad would have to lean harder on ground crews and mutual aid.

The city plans to use reserves and current revenues for the purchase, a choice that keeps the response capacity in place now but reduces the cushion available for other municipal needs. Trinidad’s projected 2026 budget is just under $80 million and includes 165 full-time equivalent positions, meaning the fire truck must compete with streets, utilities and other capital demands inside a budget that is already stretched across many services. Council’s unanimous vote signaled that members treated the truck as an urgent public-safety need, not a routine replacement.

Bacharach has argued that fire operations can also be supported through revenue beyond the general fund. He said the department generated $159,848 in 2025, including $136,576 from wildland deployments and $21,158 from Fire Recovery USA billing tied to accidents and hazardous spills. Those funds helped pay for thermal imaging cameras, radios and a public CPR program.

The stakes are not abstract in Trinidad, where Perry Stokes Airport served as a base for aerial firefighting crews during the Poitrey Canyon and Schwachheim wildfires in April 2026. The Schwachheim Fire later reached 1,582 acres before being reported 90% contained, a reminder of how quickly conditions can demand aerial support near the city. Trinidad’s fire service has also shown a willingness to approve major equipment when reliability is at issue, including a previous unanimous vote for a $149,500 landfill dump truck.