First responders lined the walls of the Nov. 19 Coronado City Council meeting in support of outgoing interim police Chief Rick Martinez, and in anticipation of the council’s decision on the purchase of an electric fire truck.
The meeting kicked off with the recognition of Martinez, whose temporary service ends Nov. 29. Martinez, a police officer in Santa Cruz for over 30 years, stepped in as the interim Coronado chief following the December retirement of his predecessor, Chuck Kaye.
City Manager Tina Friend applauded Martinez’ service and thanked him for his time leading Coronado’s department.
“He’s ethical. He has an impeccable sense of what it takes to run a department extremely well,” said Friend. “Over the past 10 months, he has shown remarkable leadership and a remarkable sense of stability.”
Coronado’s new chief, longtime San Diego officer Paul Connelly, will be sworn in on Dec. 9.
Coronado Fire requests electric engine
The Fire Department’s proposal for a Rosenbauer RTX electric fire engine initially was presented on Sept. 17, but City Council members had many questions, prompting Chief Jayson Summers to return to the meeting on Nov. 19 after conducting more extensive research.
Summers described the vehicle’s environmental benefits, operational efficiency and cost advantages. He said electric engines offer twice the equipment storage due to the absence of a traditional motor, can travel 62 miles on battery alone or 310 miles with a backup diesel system, and can hold up to 500 gallons of water in each engine.
While the cost for an electric fire truck is around $935,000 more than a traditional rig (including the cost of a portable charging unit), Summers said the switch to an electric engine would save around $55,000 dollars over eight years by reducing diesel fuel costs.
Advanced electric engine diagnostics, according to Summers, have shown fewer maintenance issues in trials compared to diesel rigs. Over seven years, diesel engine maintenance has cost the department $150,314, accumulating 373 hours of repairs and 692 days of the engine being out of service.
Health and environmental benefits
On top of a reduction in city fleet labor time, the decrease in carbon dioxide emissions from switching to electric would equal the emissions of 47 passenger vehicles driven for one year, according to Summers.
Summers said the quieter engine on an electric truck would reduce first-responder hearing loss and the risk of cancer due to carcinogens found in diesel exhaust.
From a mental health standpoint, without a diesel engine separating the crew from the engineer and captain in the front, first responders would be able to greater lean on each other for support.
“One of the things that we have studied in depth is traumatic incidents that firefighters respond to and trying to eliminate the potential for PTSD,” said Summers. “One of the things that has been proven is debriefing immediately after an incident and being able to talk to each other and just check in and unpack what may have been seen. In a traditional apparatus, you don’t really have that opportunity to do that because of the separation. Whereas on the electric engine, you can turn and rotate the seats to all face each other, and the leader of that company can check in on their crew.”
City Council approves funding
A number of Coronado residents spoke in favor of the vehicle upgrade, including Carolyn Rogerson.
“If the Coronado Fire Department thinks the electric fire truck is a good fit for this city, I would be happy to support funding for the new technology with our tax dollars,” said Rogerson. “We have very exceptional police and fire, so I support anything they feel they need to maintain the safety of the city.”
Following Summers’ presentation, the request to fund the electric fire truck was met with a unanimous “yes” from the council.
The Rosenbauer RTX electric fire engine will replace one of Coronado Fire Department’s three vehicles. Unlike traditional engines, the RTX features all-wheel drive, an independent suspension that allows for greater maneuverability and the ability to move forward while pumping water.
Restrictions on e-bikes passed
In another matter, the City Council passed an ordinance cracking down on the usage of electric bikes on the island, a measure touted to prevent accidents.
The new regulations will require riders to dismount and walk their motorized devices on all city sidewalks, the Paseo, the boardwalk near Coronado Shores and the Promenade along the Glorietta Bay Marina between Glorietta Bay Park and Bluewater Grill. Persons under 12 years of age will be prohibited from operating a class 1 or 2 electric bicycle.
Those found in violation will be fined $25. The new regulations will come into effect on Jan. 1 as an initiative to reduce injuries and potential collisions with pedestrians.
The next Coronado City Council meeting is set for Dec. 3 at 4 p.m..
