The Groesbeck Volunteer Fire Department has requested approval from city council to buy a new fire engine but will have to wait until next meeting for approval.
Fire Chief Patrick Samuels made the request in the form of a presentation at council's April 18 meeting, citing the need to buy a new fire truck to replace the Department's 1996 fire engine that often does not function. The old engine has become mostly unreliable, because its pump will sometimes malfunction during a fire, Samuels said.
"Three years ago, we started a process by which to pay off every truck we owe, with the expectation that once we got all our apparatus paid for we would start looking at a new engine," Samuels told council.
He reminded the council that the department had talked about the plan during last year's budget hearings. The old engine they hope to replace has a 750-gallon tank that pumps 1,250 gallons per minute; the proposed new engine holds 1,000 gallons and pumps 1,500 gpm. Another good feature is that the proposed truck is about 10 feet shorter than the current engine, meaning it would fit better in the fire station.