The state-of-the-art apparatus was purchased with the surtax dollars that the city received. Pure, Fuller and Vehicle Maintenance Supervisor Mike Wilson visited the Pierce plant in Wisconsin during the design phase to customize the truck to fit the city’s needs.

The cost of the truck was $778,088. It includes a 500-gallon water tank — far more than the 200-gallon tank in the truck it is replacing. In addition to the larger water tank, the new vehicle has a smaller turning radius, can carry much more equipment, including advanced life support medical gear, pump a larger amount of water, and the 75-foot ladder can be set up for a rescue within minutes.

The seats are made of a special non-absorbing material, and the interior air filtration system removes the harmful toxins firefighters are exposed to during their service. The old truck was used for more than 16 years until the manufacturer went out of business, making parts difficult to acquire and increasing maintenance costs. The vehicle is currently listed for sale with an online brokerage firm.

For at least the next year, the Gainesville Fire-Rescue apparatus from the 1940s will be worked on by students of Automotive Technology Instructor Zachary Terry.

“The first issue is to check to see if the engine is froze up,” Terry said  of  the 1947 American LaFrance pumper truck. “That's gonna tell us a lot.”

The truck, which was found in town in an old metal building, was sold in September to area business owners with the intent to restore it. 

The business owners said they  were  prepared to financially support the community project. However, one of the business owners said the group  wanted  to remain anonymous to keep the focus on the community.

Wally Cox, retired Gainesville Fire Chief, said he was contacted in September to help. Since then, he's been working on tracking down the history of the apparatus. 

A brand new tanker could cost anywhere from $250,000 to $400,000.

Luckily, Thieke works at a local auto shop and figured out how to cut down that price.

He could attach the back of the old truck to the front of a new truck.

"We bought a fire truck; actually a pumper truck that came from the city of Toledo," said Thieke.

Combining the two trucks took more than 200 hours of work.

"We took the pump and tank and body off, then we cut the frame, shortened the frame and put a new frame on back,” said Thieke.

After putting both trucks together, the auto shop sold the truck back to the fire department for $78,000, saving the department at least $170,000 for other necessities.