MANSFIELD — A damaged fender on a Mansfield Fire Department engine has led to a costly pump replacement and a change in vehicle repair policy.
The city’s Board of Control on Tuesday approved a $41,822 payment to Atlantic Emergency Solutions from Findlay to replace a pump and several valves on Engine 2. The equipment was damaged when the apparatus was left outside in Mount Vernon during a fender-repair visit.
The city’s control board is comprised of Mayor Jodie Perry, Finance Director Kelly Blankenship and Safety Service Director Keith Porch.
Fire Chief Dan Crow said the engine was parked at the scene of an auto accident in November and sustained minor bumper damage when it was struck by another vehicle.
“In January, as part of that insurance claim, we sent E2 to Blubaugh Body and Frame in Mount Vernon to get an estimate to repair the bumper,” Crow said.
“Our mechanics said they didn’t expect it to be there long for a minor estimate. It ended up staying overnight and there was no conversation between our mechanics and Blubaugh about the need for the truck to stay indoors,” Crow said.
According to Crow, the engine was left outside with water inside during a cold snap and the pump froze.
“There is a crack in the pump housing and several valves cracked as well,” he said. “The entire pump and all the valves will (have to) be replaced.”
The pump replacement, approved by City Council in March, will be covered by insurance, minus the department’s deductible. That deductible will be paid from the MFD’s repair and maintenance account.
Repairs are expected to take six to eight weeks, according to Crow, who said Station 2 is currently using a reserve engine.
Crow said department mechanics have been counseled about the issue and “we’ve identified a lack of policy in our vehicle repair division in general.
“We’re updated our policy, including adding a new section for off-site repairs,” the chief said.
Also on Tuesday, the Control Board approved spending $70,566 with First Energy Transmission to relocate a transmission pole with guide wires necessary to bore a tunnel beneath Trimble Road this summer.
The work was requested by city engineer Bob Bianchi.
That $1.25 million tunnel project, a project that will close the busy four-lane street for 45 days, will allow bicyclists and pedestrians to safely cross beneath the busy, street when an accompanying planned B&O Bike Trail connector project is complete.
It’s a key part of the larger project that officials began discussing in the fall of 2022 that will see a 1.25-mile, 10-foot wide multi-use path constructed from a parking lot about 250 feet south of the Marion Avenue and B&O Trail intersection to — and then under — Trimble Road.
Bianchi said the connector trail itself is in Stage Two of its design phase. He said easements for the trail are also being obtained.
The engineer said he hopes a contract for the connector trail will be signed this fall with construction in 2025.