Sandy Springs will spend about $643,000 on a new fire truck to serve the panhandle area, in a purchase authorized by the City Council Feb. 7.

The pumper truck will be placed at a city of Roswell fire station on Holcomb Bridge Road. The two cities share the facility under a deal to improve emergency response in the area.

City officials say the new truck is needed for the best emergency response. In addition, Fire Rescue Chief Keith Sanders said at the annual City Council retreat in January, the department is shifting to shorter trucks that can get around more easily in the city’s increasing traffic. Long ladder trucks are not needed for most responses, he said. The pumper is a shorter type of truck.

The purchase is a no-bid deal with Pierce Manufacturing. According to a staff memo, the no-bid deal is allowed because Pierce is the only maker of such fire trucks that also has the ability to do local, in-house servicing.

The cost of the truck is $560,620, with related equipment costing about $82,300. The money will come from impact fees paid by developers on certain projects.