Flames took over the Dunlow ambulance. Firefighters tell WSAZ the ambulance was coming off of a call.  

Nobody was hurt.

The need for a new fire engine was based off the age of an engine that has been in the department’s possession for more than 20 years. To keep the department’s Insurance Service Office (ISO) rating, fire departments are not supposed to have their first response trucks--or the truck that leaves a fire station first--be older than 20 years, said Dempsey Moore, chief of Scruggs Fire and Rescue.

 

The new engine will not be the only truck to enhance the department’s fire-fighting arsenal. Scruggs Fire and Rescue also is set to receive a new $381,000 multipurpose “attack” truck, which was purchased through community donations. The truck is being manufactured in Florida and is set to arrive in early December.

As for the ladder truck, Metzger noted the new addition to the city’s equipment includes a longer aerial ladder and a much higher tip load, which is the weight the ladder can support in a rescue.  

It replaces the old ladder truck, originally constructed in 2003 and suffering from negative corrosion effects due to the salty sea air, according to Metzger.

The department is receiving a $120,755 Assistance to Firefighters grant for four high-performance washers and dryers to properly clean protective gear, as well as materials and textbooks for 68 officers to complete training courses.  

NHRFR will use a $59,670 grant to purchase a new fire safety house to conduct fire safety and protection programs at community events. Another $94,209, from a Port Security grant, will be used for a maintenance contract for NHRFR's fire-fighting vessels and radio equipment for the dispatch center and port partners.

Due to the lack of insulation in the shed, some of their fire trucks have been damaged during past winters. Assistant Fire Chief Dale Hammerschmidt said due to health issues, the property owners can no longer own the fire station.  

For Giving Tuesday, Hammerschmidt is hoping to raise $1,752 to help the department be a step closer to purchasing another property to build their fire station.