At a special meeting of the Gainesville City Council Monday night, the council members took steps to help the Gainesville Volunteer Fire Department recover from a May 30 fire that destroyed almost all of the department’s vehicles and equipment. The council approved sending someone to inspect a pumper truck that has been offered for sale. It also authorized Gainesville fire chief Ed Doiron to send up to 10 sets of bunker gear (the firefighters’ protective clothing) that had survived the April 29-30 flood and was not damaged in the fire to be professionally cleaned and decontaminated.
Doiron told the Times that all the insurance adjusters have visited the site but have not yet given a final determination. The investigator is expected to return Monday, June 12, to complete his investigation.
Doiron said GVFD has “received may offers of donations for trucks and equipment, and we thank those fire departments and individuals that have contacted us with offers and donations. The fire service is a true family that helps each other in times of loss, both physical and emotional. We have bunker gear and some equipment coming, but I am holding off on most things until we have somewhere to store it. The city council has been supportive in our efforts to get up and running again.”