Town of Lincoln dodges nearly $300,000 tariff with new fire truck

The Town of Lincoln ’s new fire truck didn’t come with the nearly $300,000 in tariff charges that fire department and town officials feared earlier this year.

Greg Hudson, chief of Niagara West Fire and Emergency Services, noted possible Canadian retaliatory tariffs on the American-made pumper truck might drive up the cost by as much as 25 per cent, an amount which was not budgeted.

But when the truck crossed the border earlier this month, there was no duty on top of the $1.1 million the town paid for the pumper.

“Fortunately, emergency vehicles such as fire trucks and ambulances are exempt (from Canadian tariffs) and that continues to remain the case,” Hudson said.

The rig was built by Spartan Emergency Response in Brandon, South Dakota and was ordered by the town about a year ago.