Nast said since his department tries to get 24-25 years out of each of its vehicles. “We don’t want to order what he need right now,” said the chief, and instead they try to think of what they’ll need 10-15 years from now.  

Nass believes they have it in the department’s new Spencer pumper truck built in South Haven in southwest Michigan.

In the new truck when the operator slides up the door to the pump control panel there aren’t a lot of gauges and nobs. Instead, there’s a small black computer screen.

The new apparatus has a 3,000-gallon water tank, foam capability, front bumper monitor and surround scene lighting, all controlled from inside the cab. It will be a first-out for structure fires and vehicle accidents.  

“The tanker can transport five firefighters to the scene along with the tools needed for a fast attack on a structure fire or with rescue tools for a vehicle accident and if needed can be a big blocker for traffic,” Smith said.

Department personnel are in the process of being trained to become familiar with the various computerized options.

The purchase was made possible thanks to a $200,000 cost share grant through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program, administered by Texas A&M Forest Service.

Josh Skinner, the county’s CPST coordinator, said Greenwood-based Gordon Group was chosen among five bidders for the contract. Construction could begin this summer.

Bringing the station online is a small part of an overall $14.24 million plan to overhaul the county’s fire services system. Voters approved the allocation in 2016.

Between this year and 2022, officials plan to construct five additional stations at a cost of roughly $3.9 million. That’s important, public safety experts say, because there are 1,720 structures in the county classified as having no fire protection by insurance providers because they fall outside of a 5-mile radius, carrying a total property value of nearly $59 million.