The District continues to face challenges regarding capital equipment and facilities. Twelve of the District’s 30 fire stations are over 50 years old. The life expectancy of this type of facility is 30-35 years. The average age of the entire heavy apparatus fleet is 17.43 years with an expected service life of 12 -15 years. Averages for individual types of units include 13.07 years for Type-1 engines, 13 years for Type-3 engines, 15.1 years for ladder trucks, and 28.5 years for water tenders. Additionally, the District must purchase new mobile and portable radios for the implementation of the new regional radio system. The estimated cost for the radio system is $1.4M. Other capital equipment items such as self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and heart monitors are very expensive and must also be replaced on a regular basis depending on their life cycle. The District has applied for, or is participating in, regional requests for grant funds to purchase the radios, new heart monitors, and a piece of heavy apparatus. Currently, the District has $5.3M in special “facility funds” that cannot be utilized for salaries, benefits, or normal operating costs. The District is exploring options to purchase several pieces of heavy apparatus and improve the living quarters at Fire Station #16 (Lafayette) in order to maintain safe and reliable operations.