Gardner said call times in the area continuously exceed the recommended national standard response times and that a lack of a fire station could impact common insurance policies or rates for homeowners in the area. The department announced last year that it received the second-highest classification from the Insurance Service Office, which can result in savings on insurance premiums for Leander homeowners and businesses.

The four firefighters in the truck were unharmed. The condition of the car driver was unavailable.

The front end of the car was heavily damaged. There was little visible damage to the fire truck.

The system allows fire chiefs to better track dollars and to cut out delays in the supply chain.

The vending machines were installed at Station 4 at Lenore Trail in Greenbrier, Station 5 at Hanbury Road in Great Bridge, and Station 12 on Taylor Road in Western Branch.

Fire Department Captain Greg Noel said the new vending system began in December and makes the supply of medical equipment to firefighters more seamless and efficient.

In the past, all crews had to get medical supplies from the Hanbury Road station.

The suspect saw an MPD cruiser and fire truck in the area responding to another call and apparently panicked. Police said the male teenager ended up crashing into the MPD cruiser and the fire truck while he was trying to get away. 

The department believes the engine rolled over the spike while traveling on the highway somewhere in the vicinity of George Road. After the call to which the engine was responding was canceled, the engine returned to Poulsbo, where the department realized the full extent of the damage. In the rapidly flattening tire, they discovered pieces of a “caltrop,” a piece of metal fashioned to point upward and pierce a tire.