Vicki Hyatt
The Mountaineer, Waynesville, N.C.
(TNS)
The Fines Creek Volunteer Fire Department is on the cusp of upgrading its vehicle fleet with a new pumper and tanker truck, equipped with an 1,800-gallon tank and the capability of pumping up to 1,500 gallons a minute. Fire Chief Marion Ferguson asked county commissioners to green light the $400,000 purchase.
The department will put $120,000 down and borrow $282,000 over a 12-year period. Home Trust Bank will finance the purchase at an interest rate of 4.25% with monthly payments of $2,503.
The new truck will bolster the aging fleet where trucks range from 16 to 32 years old, Ferguson said. The current fleet includes a 2016 pickup truck used for medical response, a 2012 brush/rescue truck, two fire engines, one a 2007 model and another 1991 model, 1992 tanker. The board approved the purchase.