Maclay said it was important to him the truck be returned to the department which first purchased it, Augusta, where it was the first piece of fire apparatus powered by an engine, instead of horses.

Audette’s plans to preserve and display it in a museum of other department artifacts and photographs “means so much to me I can’t tell you,” Maclay said. “When I learned this was Augusta’s first truck, and I wasn’t able to handle it anymore, I said it’s got to go back to Augusta. You’ve got to be a fireman to appreciate that and what it’s like to get back a piece of equipment like this, their first motorized truck.”

Jonathan and Crystal waited patiently next to the truck as the colored water shot from the fire hose, revealing they’re expecting a little girl.  “Don’t think words could express the love, joy and excitement that we were feeling. A little girl is all we have wanted since we found out we were expecting.  We already have 2 boys and we’re really hoping that we could get a little girl,” says Jonathan.

Standing in front of the newly arrived Freightliner pumper-rescue truck, Fire Chief Mike Demers welcomed area firefighters. Wiscasset, Dresden, West Bath, Bath, Randolph and other area fire departments were represented. Demers said Woolwich’s first responders were very grateful to the community for its support in buying the truck last April. The vehicle was custom-built to the department’s specifications over the last nine weeks.

Edwards also reported on a health and safety upgrade that has been undertaken at minimal cost, including a laundry room with appliances donated by the Local 616 and fixtures installed in-house by the city’s electrical and plumber. The department also received a grant for a special washer.

“We got a FEMA grant for an industrial-sized, they call it an extractor, it’s just a big washer. It’s a unit that’s used to wash firefighter turnout gear so that gear cannot just be washed in a washing machine, it’s a specialized way that it has to be washed so that it doesn’t wash out the material and the chemicals that are used to protect that gear.