North Whidbey Fire and Rescue District’s Engine 26 has returned to service after having been down for approximately six weeks for upgrade and repair by H&W Emergency Vehicle Services in Hillsboro, Ore.

Chief Marv Koorn said the unit is operating very well.

“The new lighting on the back of the vehicle has made a big difference … and everything on the engine is working just the way it is supposed to,” Koorn told the fire district board.

The next piece of equipment scheduled for repair by H&W is Tender 23.

Koorn said the top-end price for repairs on the tender will not exceed $40,802, which is a considerable savings for the district as the asking price for a new tender is somewhere between $160,000 and $200,000.

“I wanted to keep the estimated repair cost a little on the top side so any extra money left over could be used on something else,” he said.

The upgrades for all the existing fire apparatus owned by the department is part of a four-year, money-saving plan instigated by the district after the November levy-lift lid was turned down by voters.

Under the plan, two pieces of equipment will be sent out for upgrades every year. The upgrades and refurbishing will extend the life of the existing equipment for approximately another 10 years.

Koorn said it will take approximately four weeks for repair work on the tender to be completed.