In fact, the National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Red Flag Alert as of this morning, Dec. 11, 2017, alerting people to be abundantly cautious with any possible fire they may be starting. That alert means atmospheric conditions are favorable to causing a fire to go out of control. Those conditions include dry weather, plenty of fuel (such as dead leaves and dry brush), a lack of humidity and strong, gusty winds. Kambarian said those conditions would be in abundance Monday, and possibly for the duration of this week. That brush truck is the Godfrey Fire Protection District's best asset against rural brush fires. Many places under its protection do not have easy access to fire hydrants, so the Godfrey Fire Protection District dispatches one of its brush trucks to respond. The brush truck is a four-wheel-drive off-road machine roughly the same size and shape of a run-of-the-mill pickup truck. The main difference between it and the commercial variety is Godfrey Fire Protection District's brush truck carries about 300 gallons of water.

The new fire truck, worth $1.2 million, will hit the streets next year after the city was included as one of four NSW locations to receive the cutting-edge firefighting technology.  

Two of the trucks will go into operation at Blacktown and Liverpool fire stations in February, after Fire and Rescue NSW crews complete the training required to use them.  

Another two vehicles will be delivered to Wollongong and Newcastle later in 2018.

This five ton vehicle replaced a 1970 military 2 ½ ton vehicle. Firefighters formed a committee to research and locate the proper vehicle. They then painted and fully outfitted the truck with the necessary equipment and tools to put it in service for the town.  

The truck carries 635 gallons of water and has a separate foam cell. The fire pump can draft water from a pond or river and the truck carries 400 feet of hose located on two electric reels. The pump has capabilities to supply other vehicles if needed during forest fires.

With the daily wear and tear and harsh weather conditions in Erie, Chief Guy Santone says it's time to update the fleet.  "It's not like driving a car, when these trucks go out they are pushed... they are worked hard,"  Santone expressed the need for a new truck at the department's budget session with City Council last week.    

 A new rescue pumper or tower truck can cost anywhere from $750,000 to $1.2 million completely outfitted. "We would like to get on a program where we get a new fire truck every four years.  They were receptive to that and to what I had to say," Santone tells us.   

But the trucks are not only getting older, they are getting more expensive to fix.  Mechanic Judd Spaulding says, "they have 50 to 60 thousand miles on them but they are city miles, full throttle to complete stop, it's not highway easy miles on these trucks at all".