According to a report from Columbia Basin Herald, Grant County (WA) Fire District 5 (GCFD5) officials in Moses Lake, Washington, have discovered an innovative way to reduce costs while still obtaining the apparatus they need and want.

GCFD5 Chief Dan Smith said that their latest apparatus, if purchased new, can run around $200,000. However, he noted that GCFD5 personnel could build it for “way less” than half that cost while still building it to the department’s application.

District officials do-it-yourself approach paid off when they purchased a truck chassis and customized it from the axles on up. Smith said it’s a way to maximize the district’s resources.

Smith admitted that, as a rural fire district, the department didn’t have the money to buy all new trucks. And, the GCFD5 covers a broad area of more than 500 square miles across 12 stations, so there was no chance they could afford to house brand-new trucks at all 12 stations all the time. We can still provide quality equipment, and lots of it, for a lot less money.”

District officials recently purchased five used chassis to turn into fire apparatus suited for service in a district with many roadless areas. According to Smith, the five chassis cost a total of about $200,000 (although he didn’t give an exact amount).

The chassis originally came out of the factory as logging trucks sometime in the early 2000s. The GCFD5 then takes equipment from existing trucks and refurbishes and fits it to the new truck. However, it’s a long way from a logging truck chassis to becoming what Smith called a “tactical tender.”

On Thursday, two of the trucks that were still being built were parked in the district’s maintenance shed on Thursday, one about two-thirds completed, the second in the early stages.

Building trucks sounds like an intricate process, and it is. Once the truck returns, it’s fitted with a refurbished water tank, then the tank is repainted. Although it’s an involved process, Smith said the result is both more cost-effective and customized.

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A Bonita Springs Fire Control & Rescue District fire truck rolled over on the way to a kitchen fire, reports WINK News.

There were no reported injuries. The fire truck took a sharp turn and rolled over into a wooded area.

Firefighters still made it to the scene and were able to quickly put out the kitchen fire. 

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Royalston is using funds from CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act to purchase defibrillators, reports Athol Daily News.

The replacements were needed as the units at the town building and some of the departmental units were over a decade old. The cost was nearly $11,000.

The fire department is also working on a project to place street numbers at businesses and homes.

The post Royalston (MA) Uses Funds for Fire Equipment appeared first on Fire Apparatus.

The Monroe Fire Department unveiled four near pumper trucks, reports Monroe News Star.

Ferrara Fire Apparatus built the trucks at a cost of approximately $2 million. All trucks were purchased using funds derived from a 10-year tax renewal for fire department capital expenditure projects. 

The post Monroe (LA) Welcomes Four Fire Apparatus appeared first on Fire Apparatus.

Grosse Pointe Woods has welcomed a new fire truck that includes double mirrors, interior and exterior cameras and a 100-foot ladder, reports Grosse Pointe Woods.

The $1,071,000 fire truck is a much-needed investment for the city. The truck, manufactured by E-ONE, is equipped with upgraded technology. With camera capabilities, there should be few times when personnel will be required to climb to the top of the ladder to put out a fire.

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