The current ladder truck has a 75-foot ladder. The new ladder truck has a 107-foot ladder.
Each floor in a commercial building is typically 10 feet tall, which means the new ladder truck will allow the fire department to reach about three floors higher than it can with the current ladder truck.
"With the city building the River District up and with all the loft apartments, this is going to be a vital piece of equipment if we ever have a fire there," Jefferson said.
Danville Firefighter Tony Mills has been with the department for 14 years and is looking forward to training on the new truck.
"This is the first truck we've had with the rear steer, so that's going to be different; getting the feel of how that handles," Mills said. "It's excellent to have a fire department that sees what you need and then goes out there and tries to get you the tools to get the job done."