City Council Approves Grant Toward New Casper Mountain Fire Truck

Casper City Council approved a $140,000 matching grant request initiated by the Casper Mountain Fire District that fire officials say will go toward the purchase of a specialized fire truck.

The resolution was approved by a near-unanimous 8-1 margin at Casper City Council's Tuesday meeting.

Mayor Kenyne Schlager voted in favor of the grant. She says last September’s Sheep Herder Hill Fire – and witnessing the fire's community-wide impact – played a role in her decision.

“It’s not just the county residents that live on the mountain that were impacted – senior citizens in nursing homes and (assisted living homes) were also impacted,” Schlager said. “So, for me, it’s a broader issue.”

Ward III councilman Paul Bertoglio cast the lone "no" vote. He says he voted against the resolution in part because he believes the new fire truck will be more beneficial for the county and not the city.

Bertoglio also questions whether the fire truck will be capable of suitably fighting fires atop Casper Mountain.

“This unit, really, is not going to meet the ability to fire fires on the mountain – it will help some, but if there’s a fire on the mountain, it’s going to burn,” Bertoglio said. “It may help a little but, but, as we’ve seen in the other fires, a little bit isn’t going to help much.”

The fire truck will cost $280,000. Schlager says the Casper Mountain Fire District will foot half of the bill.