Fire Chief Buck Manley with the Holmen Area Fire Department calls the new engine a bonus to the department’s tactical tool box.

“There’s five different aspects. So, it has a pump. It has hose for regular fire suppression. It has a water source. It has ground ladders and an aerial,” Manley said.

The Quint features an 110′ aerial ladder. That is double the size of the ladder on the previous truck. Firefighters say it will be essential to performing rescues in multi-level complexes and putting out fires in farm silos.

In 81% of cases, staffing was to blame – the highest percentage of all 16 Scottish areas in that period.

The remaining 19% of appliance withdrawals was due to mechanical issues.

The figure is made up of all instances where vehicles are off the run, whether it be for a few minutes or for a full 12-hour shift.

Previously, we revealed appliances were taken off the run 227 times in 202 days, between October 2 and April 22, meaning there were a further 103 instances in the 99 days between April 23 and up to the end of July.

The Board of Commissioners voted to go ahead and purchase one new ambulance out of SPLOST VI tax funds.

Chief David Forrester said some of the county’s ambulances date back to 2003 and the new equipment is a necessity.

The equipment will be used on the new $458,760 fire pumper apparatus that was approved in August and already has been ordered.

Commissioners agreed to let Fire Chief David Johnson spend up to $34,690 for the lifesaving equipment that typically is used in situations like vehicle crashes where occupants are trapped. The new equipment, which is made by Holmatro, will be bought through Purchase Point Equipment Supply LLC.