A new report is raising concerns about the state of the Cape Breton Regional Fire Service's fire truck fleet.

The report, written by a committee of the Cape Breton Regional Fire Chiefs Association, was presented to a committee of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality council last week.

It says 10 trucks in the department are older than 25 years, and according to national guidelines, should be retired immediately. Older trucks can pose mechanical and safety problems, the report notes.

"One critical issue with regards to the age of fire apparatus is safety," reads the report. "As these [apparatuses] age, they are more prone to mechanical failure.

"Given the amount of weight these vehicles carry, there is potential for incidents which put firefighters and the public at risk for serious injury or even death."

The report estimated that $1.7 million would be needed in each of 10 years to replace the department's aging fleet.

That prompted Deputy Mayor Eldon MacDonald to raise the issue during a council discussion of CBRM's budget pressures last week.

"So we have vehicles that the underwriters are saying, 'These have to be removed from service,'" said MacDonald. "They're no longer considered safe to protect and fight fires in a manner that we should be protecting our citizens. So there's a $1.7-million pressure that we have right now."

But fire administrators say the fleet is in "good shape" and that the report was based partly on outdated information.

Deputy fire Chief Chris March says the authors of the report included vehicles that have since been replaced, as well as others that some rural departments have kept for "sentimental" reasons that are not essential for firefighting.

"The public can be well assured that the fleet is actually quite good, and there are very few vehicles that are older than 25, and the ones that are, are due for replacement this year," he said.

March added that many of the trucks in CBRM don't rack up much yearly mileage, are stored inside and age well.

"When I was on the floor, we had a truck that was 20 years old, and I believe it only had in the low 20,000 kilometres on it when it was retired."

March said the department's insurance adjuster recently gave the department a favourable review and told them he has seen municipalities that are "much larger with much more financial opportunity, and our fleet was in better shape."

March said the fire service will present a five-year plan for vehicle replacement during CBRM budget talks early next year that will be "much more affordable" than the $1.7-million yearly cost outlined in the report.

He expects the cost will likely be about $1 million a year.