The new pumper-tanker replaces a 1987 model, which is being passed on to a department in North Dakota.

The new truck is custom-made, as most fire trucks are, said Smith. It is modelled on the 1987 truck, but with a bigger cab. The new truck will fit five instead of three, and have room for firefighters to put on their gear as they travel to a fire.

After the honks, the Porsche driver gave the fire truck the old one-finger salute. The Porsche then turned right down a street and the fire truck followed. If that was their intended route or if they were just following the Porsche out of spite, we do not know. As they get to the end of the street, the Porsche slows considerably. Well before the next intersection, the Porsche abruptly stops in the middle of the road. 

The city was notified on Aug. 11 that it received a grant totaling $428,000, which will be used toward a new rescue pumper for the Follansbee Fire Department. It will feature a large foam apparatus that will carry 200 gallons of foam.

The Fire Authority announced last May after more than a decade of discussion it was purchasing 3.5 acres of land in the Coopersville Industrial Park for the new station. It will replace the Fire Department's two current stations.