Neepawa council's discussing their options for a new fire truck. Mayor Adrian de Groot explains they're currently looking at two options, with the only major difference being the water carrying capacity. De Groot says while the smaller unit would be ideal for the urban setting, councillors also have to take mutual aid agreements into consideration.

"Because we have mutual aid, and we're looking at a fire agreement with North Cypress-Langford, it makes sense to with the larger capacity. Larger capacity also means a higher price, of course. One of the concerns when we discuss these things is cost sharing, is there a cost-sharing agreement? We have an agreement with North Cypress-Langford, but mutual aid is mutual aid. So, there is no cost-sharing."

De Groot says decisions over carrying capacity aren't the only challenges their facing. He notes a low Canadian Dollar has resulted in council searching to purchase a unit from within the country.

"A lot of them are made in the United States, and with the exchange rate right now, it's not very practical. We're looking for something local to meet the need, Canadian made. A final decision hasn't been made right now, and there's still a final analysis to be done about which way we go from here."

De Groot notes they're also continuing to look at developing a regional fire agreement, to improve service to Neepawa and the surrounding area. He says that's another reason they're continuing to discuss purchasing the larger truck.