The city of Bay Minette has a new ladder truck thanks to the grant writing skills of the Bay Minette Fire Department personnel. The fire truck was purchased with a FEMA grant for a total of $637,689. The grant funding was 90/10 match requiring the city to pay $32,261 toward the purchase.
Mayor Robert A. "Bob" Wills praised the department staff for all their hard work in acquiring the grant.
"It would have put a significant financial burden on the City if we would have had to purchase this truck outright. Obtaining the grant made it possible," Wills said. "This is a terrific asset for our city which gives our Fire Department increased capability to serve our citizens."
The 2016 Farrara Cinder custom six-man cab fire truck is now in operation and replaces a 1978 fire truck that the Fire Department had in use. The new equipment includes a 77-foot ladder and is lighter and has a shorter turning radius.
Some of its features include a 1,500 gallons per minute pump, 500 gallon water tank, large cab for scene rehab for firefighters, 1500 GMP Elevated Master Stream/Stand Pipe for commercial roof top fires, more storage capacity and it is set-up to assist with technical rescue operations.