The brand-new 2016 E-ONE Typhoon was delivered to headquarters on Friday and will serve as the new frontline vehicle for the volunteer Fire Department.

 

The engine replaces a 29-year-old E-ONE, which will be sold. The town had stashed some of its free cash aside for the last three years to make a large down payment and financed the remainder. The truck cost $475,500.

 

"The town has been putting money away, putting money away, putting money away to come up with three-quarters of the money to buy it and they financed only $128,000," Fire Chief Charles Durfee said. "We tried for a grant but got rejected."

 

With approval to move forward from town meeting, Deputy Chief Jeff DeChaine crafted the specifications with Greenwood Fire Apparatus, the vendor out of North Attleboro. The new engine has significant upgrades in safety features, compartment space, and is more user-friendly.

 

"One thing we did want was the top-mounted pump. A lot of engines you see the handle is on the side. We've always had the top mount. We like it because the pump operator has a better view of the scene from up there," DeChaine said. "We were trying to get an engine that was as short as possible but still had the top mount pump. The other was compartment space. In the design, there is 10 times the compartment space and they carry pretty much the same amount of water."

 

DeChaine said the department loves the 1987 E-One it currently uses as a secondary engine but the time has come to replace it — so they went with the same model, just newer.

 

"We have a very stringent preventive maintenance procedure but as time goes on, I don't care what it is, if you have a 30-year-old car it doesn't matter how well you take care of it you are going to have to work on it. It is important for what we do. If somebody is on the other end of that hose i