The new truck can hold twice the amount of water and spray foam, which the fire department said is better at suppressing vapors like from a gasoline fire.

The engine cost about $500,000 and was funded by the city.

The new stations are needed to replace the aging, landlocked Station 21, fire officials said.

That building was cobbled together over the years, and does not fit the current firefighting equipment, officials said. An architectural review of the building performed in 2016 indicated the building needed $1.4 million in work to bring it up to standards.

Houston said the hallways, foyer and kitchen also need to be painted with epoxy.

Other work includes leveling the mound of dirt next to the station, possibly giving some of it away, and redoing the concrete loop around the back of the building because of cracks.

No one is sure why the cracks have appeared in the driveway, but it won’t cost the city any additional money.

“It’s not our building yet,” Houston said. “We don’t pay for that if we don’t approve it.”

The city won’t take possession of the building until it meets their specifications, he said.

South Jersey Gas, a subsidiary of South Jersey Industries, recently presented the Mannington Township Fire Company with a $3,000 grant as part of the South Jersey Gas's First Responders Grant Program.

Mannington Township Fire Company is one of eight recipients selected to receive the latest round of grants from South Jersey Gas. The grant funds will be used by the department to purchase a new stair chair and accompanying tread system to assist their EMS department. 

“The new truck was built in 2012, so it’s only 5 years old. We should be able to get some long life out of it, about 15 to 20 years,” Flynn said.

The department will purchase the truck through Brindlee Mountain Fire Apparatus in Alabama from a fire department in Schenectady, N.Y.

Called a “mid-mount,” the new truck features a boom with a ladder and a platform. It also will be able to spray 2,000 gallons of water per minute. Big Red, a “snorkel” truck, can spray only 1,500 gallons per minute, Flynn said.