The new apparatus has a 3,000-gallon water tank, foam capability, front bumper monitor and surround scene lighting, all controlled from inside the cab. It will be a first-out for structure fires and vehicle accidents.  

“The tanker can transport five firefighters to the scene along with the tools needed for a fast attack on a structure fire or with rescue tools for a vehicle accident and if needed can be a big blocker for traffic,” Smith said.

Department personnel are in the process of being trained to become familiar with the various computerized options.

The purchase was made possible thanks to a $200,000 cost share grant through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program, administered by Texas A&M Forest Service.

Josh Skinner, the county’s CPST coordinator, said Greenwood-based Gordon Group was chosen among five bidders for the contract. Construction could begin this summer.

Bringing the station online is a small part of an overall $14.24 million plan to overhaul the county’s fire services system. Voters approved the allocation in 2016.

Between this year and 2022, officials plan to construct five additional stations at a cost of roughly $3.9 million. That’s important, public safety experts say, because there are 1,720 structures in the county classified as having no fire protection by insurance providers because they fall outside of a 5-mile radius, carrying a total property value of nearly $59 million.

“Our last engine that we purchased was in 2005 so this is a big milestone for us,” Dietz said. “It’s a big upgrade for that, which ew need to provide adequate services with all the new technology. Over the last 15 years things have changes quite a bit since we got our last engine.”  

Once the engine is fully assembled and tested for standards and quality, it will be sent down to Texas for what’s called “make ready,” where staff will put the finishing touches before officially handing the keys over.

“Then we do what is called ‘make ready,’ and that’s when we go in and tell them where we want everything mounted,” Dietz said. “We tell them exactly where we want things and there’s so much detail that we have to think ahead and design it to where we think it will be the best for operational standards.”

Firefighters need to be able to rely on that aerial truck if they're called to fight a major fire. In its time, the 1992 aerial ladder truck at the Elkhart Fire Department was state of the art.  

Bearing that in mind, the Elkhart city council signed off on a $1.3 million appropriation to buy a new aerial truck to replace that one.

Over the years, since the aerial truck was built in 1992, the nature and scope of firefighting has changed considerably. They need safer state of the art equipment to keep up with those changes now and in the future. A modern ladder truck built to handle the rigors of major fires.