The city's public safety department took delivery Monday on a nearly new, $1.1 million aerial fire truck. Sutphen Corp. of Ohio, which built the 2016-model truck, used it as a demonstrator for a few months prior to Petoskey's purchase.
The truck logged about 15,000 miles during that time -- mainly from traveling around the country for demonstration purposes -- but was not used for firefighting.
The truck features a 100-foot aerial platform, 1,500-gallon-per-minute water pump and 500-horsepower diesel engine. It replaces a 32-year-old aerial unit, for which the city received a $30,000 trade-in allowance from Sutphen.
Public safety officers have noted that the old truck presented numerous electrical and hydraulic issues in recent years, that replacement parts were sometimes difficult to find because of its age, and that it lacked modern safety features.
Public safety officer Dan Smith estimated that it will take about two weeks to fully train department members in use of the newer truck.
During a city council meeting Monday, city manager Rob Straebel noted plans to feature the truck during a community unveiling event at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, at the corner of Mitchell and Howard streets. This will take place in conjunction with downtown Petoskey's children's Halloween festivities.