"I am glad to announce that the Redlands Fire Department will receive these funds, and am glad that they'll be able to make much needed upgrades to critical safety equipment," said Rep. Aguilar. He continued, "Firefighters in our community put themselves in harm's way in the service of others, and they deserve access to the best equipment. Redlands Fire has sent representatives to both of my last two grants training workshops, so this is a department that is serious about using federal resources to help provide services for our local community."

The Wacker fire chief said among the fire trucks the department has, one of them is specially designed for the Charleston site "and is the only one that I am aware of that is in the United States."

This Turbo truck is able to spray water at longer distances and larger volume.

"We have EMS, we have an ambulance, which goes back to the level of education for our firefighters who are either advanced EMTs or paramedics, and then we do confined space and HAZMAT technical rescue," King explained. "We also have a medical clinic with our two nurses being contracted for us and they are very skilled in their roles."

As recently as Monday morning, the fire station on West Street had received a call to respond to an alarm, but a flatbed in a no-parking zone across the street had prevented the fire department’s aerial truck from making the turn out of the station - thus blocking it in until the driver returned five minutes later to move the vehicle.

Fire Chief Scott Hughes said the new truck will allow them to retire a 24-year-old pumper housed at the Highway 96 North fire station.

He reported they have trouble finding parts for old one, the air is out, and it takes ten minutes for the air to build up in the brakes so they can get in route to calls.

“The plan is to sell that one, take 10-year-old pumper, that is our first responding one now, move it out as a secondary and use this one as first in service,” explained Hughes.

The department plans to purchase the pumper from a co-operative out of New Jersey, who will build the truck over 390 days with estimated delivery in late 2018 or early 2019.