If the city buys a new fire truck and the Bearkat community doesn’t know about it, will the students feel safe?

That question was the crux of discussion Tuesday at the Huntsville city council meeting. Casey Cox, council member for Ward 2, led the discussion and proposed reaching out to Sam Houston State University to create unique branding for a new fire truck.

“What’s a better way to show off this [fire truck] like the likes of LSU, U of H, A&M, North Texas, Oklahoma State, to show off our Sam Houston brand?” Cox asked.

Confusion surrounded the proposal and a motion to reach out to SHSU to begin collaborating was struck down after a 4-4 vote. At-large Councilmember Vicki Mckenzie was not present, and her vote was abstained.

During the discussion, Cox said the funds for the fire truck were already approved and there would be no additional costs associated with reaching out to the university and working with Pierce Manufacturing to create a Bearkat brand.

With or without the Bearkat brand, the fire department will continue to serve the community and campus, but Cox said he was passionate about engaging the student body with community affairs.

Two council members who voted no told Cox after the meeting they didn’t know enough about the proposal and wanted more details before committing to reaching out to the university.

“That’s why we had [time for] questions, y’all didn’t ask questions,” Cox said. “I had everything laid out in there.”

Other proposals passed without dissent, including public improvements to Sterling Ridge and a Hazard Mitigation Plan to address problems with flooding in Huntsville.

By working with the Walker County Office of Emergency Management and the Houston-Galveston Area Council, Huntsville will be eligible for future federal funding to mitigate natural threats.