The new truck has been in the works for nearly six years, and the fire department received it on Jan. 29. Research for the truck started back in 2012 and the first meeting with the manufacturer took place in 2016.

Due to the small bay that the fire station had, the truck had to be custom built to be able to fit through the door.The truck will be replacing the one the department purchased in 1996 as a heavy rescue truck. The older truck will be primarily used for firefighting purposes.

Committee Chair Charles Allen said he was “increasingly anxious” about the supply of ladder trucks.  

Later in the discussion, Dean gave an inventory of the department’s equipment.

The custom truck also has two battery-powered jaws of life: one for cutting into a vehicle and another for opening the vehicle up faster and more efficiently.The $483,000 price tag may seem like a lot but Chief Sigur said the new gear was a long-time coming.