"This new apparatus is replacing an older, 1992 truck that required a lot of maintenance," said Earle's Chapel VFD Fire Chief Ted Hunt. "The department appreciates having a safer, multifunction truck to help increase our fleet capacity for wildland and structure fires."

The Pierce Freightliner pumper has a 1,000-gallon water tank, five seat cab with a compartment for self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and a 1,260 gallons-per-minute Hale pump.

For the first time in nearly a decade, Lincoln Fire and Rescue is adding a brand new ambulance to its fleet. The new rig isn't an addition, it's a replacement, but firefighters say the new equipment could be the difference between life and death for a patient.

"This is a big deal for us, because it's the first new medic unit the city of Lincoln and Lincoln Fire and Rescue has purchased since 2010," said Division Chief Kendall Warnock.