After an election two years ago in which the voters of the fire district authorized the purchase of two new fire engines to provide more reliable protection for the constituents and improved safety for the firefighters, the first of two new engines arrived on Tuesday, July 5.
Firefighters, under the guidance of Fire Chief Thad Olsen, put the new pumper through its paces, spending 12-1/2 hours last Wednesday performing acceptance testing on the truck. The truck passed with flying colors.
Firefighters will spend the next couple of weeks training on the new engine, having radio equipment installed, and loading hose and other equipment onto the truck. Once the firefighters are trained up and the truck is completely outfitted it will be placed into service for the people of the community.
Chief Thad Olsen said that this marks a milestone for the department. It is the first time that the district has purchased two brand-new, identical pumpers. Having two identical trucks eases the training requirements for the volunteers, and lessens the chance of confusion during an emergency. These two should give many years of service.