The Valdosta Fire Department showed off four new custom-build fire trucks, decked out with the latest and most updated equipment. On Wednesday, VFD unveiled the trucks that will replace four 18-year-old pumper trucks at stations 2,3,4, and 6.
The trucks cost the city of Valdosta about $1.9 million and was paid for with a combination of funding approved by voters and a low-interest loan.
"These new vehicles were unanimously approved by the Valdosta City Council on January 21, 2016, on the same day that our Valdosta Fire Department officially received its Class 1 Insurance Service Office (ISO) rating--the highest rating a fire department can receive," said Mayor John Gayle. "Maintaining our top ISO rating is critical to keeping our insurance premiums low and demonstrates that Valdosta is a great place to live and do business."
The new trucks feature a 1,000-gallon water tank on them, back-up and blind-spot cameras, an additional LED lighting system, an exhaust removal system, and a low frequency siren that allows drivers to hear the emergency vehicles before they can be seen.
At the Nov. 30 event, the fire department also displayed its 1927 and 1998 fire trucks to demonstrate the advancements of these life-saving vehicles and the continued mission of the fire department.
Two of older trucks will be put into the reserve fleet to be used only when repairs or preventable maintenance is necessary to the newer trucks. The other two older vehicles will be sold on the GovDeals website, or they will be sold to another county/city.