THOMASVILLE — A Thomas County commissioner is of the opinion that another fire truck is not needed if it will not help taxpayers.

Commissioners purchased two extrication/rescue trucks, a tanker and an ambulance at a board meeting last week. A motion to pursue bids on another tanker was withdrawn.

The motion withdrawn by commission Vice Chairman Elaine Mays was to seek bids — not to exceed $40,000 — on a tanker for the Ochlocknee fire station.

Commissioner Ken Hickey, chairman of the commission purchasing committee, said the board was supposed to buy one tanker for Coolidge.

“I got there, and there are two fire trucks on the agenda,” Hickey said in reference to a purchasing committee meeting the day before the commission meeting.

The tanker being eyed is in North Carolina and has been viewed only in photographs, Hickey told the Times-Enterprise.

Hickey said fire trucks at Meigs and Barnetts Creek fire stations are available for use by Ochlocknee.

Also, he pointed out, the $40,000 discussed for the truck purchase would have to be borrowed.

“We do not need to add another truck to the fleet if it’s not going to help taxpayers. We don’t need more toys,” Hickey said.

Commissioners approved the purchase of two extrication/rescue cabs and chassis at $28,026.10 each from Roy Campbell Chevrolet. The local bid was the low bid.

The trucks, which have 6.6 diesel engines, will go to Ochlocknee and Coolidge stations. The vehicles, which are not budgeted, will be paid for from the emergency services fund.

“We’re going to mount the bodies off the two old trucks on the cab and chassis,” said Mike Stephenson, county manager.

The vehicles will replace Fords with 6.0 diesel engines, which the county manager described as “the problem.” The Ford trucks are not suited for emergency missions, Stephenson added.

The same situation occurred with Ford ambulances, he explained.

“We could not get satisfaction from Ford Motor Co. on repairs on these engines,” Stephenson said.