The Mehlville Fire Protection District took delivery of a new pumper last week.

Two members of the Board of Directors — Treasurer Bonnie Stegman and Secretary Ed Ryan — inspected the new vehicle with Chief Brian Hendricks and Deputy Chief Kent Snelson after a May 15 board meeting.

The Board of Directors voted unanimously in late August to award a $464,573 contract to Schuhmacher Fire Equipment for the new pumper.

A total of seven bids were submitted to the fire district for the new pumper.

Bids ranged from Leo Ellebracht’s low bid of $450,889 to Precision Fire Apparatus’ high bid of $517,148.

Hendricks told the board that of the seven bids, “two of them came the closest to our specification. It is my recommendation and the recommendation of our staff that we issue the purchase order to Pierce Manufacturing/Schuhmacher Fire Equipment …”

The new pumper will be stationed at the district’s No. 1 Firehouse on Lemay Ferry Road — “one of the busiest engine houses in St. Louis County,” Snelson said.

“… When it goes in service, it will be running,” he said.