Fire officials say a longstanding policy has been to take department vehicles out on various tasks, such as going to the grocery store or hitting the gym, in an effort to minimize response time should a fire call come in.

Township manager George Wolfe and Colonial Park fire chief John Fogg each confirmed a non-reportable accident involving a fire apparatus on Jonestown Road.

Fogg said the incident occurred while the crew was on "routine business," but Wolfe said he wasn't aware if the apparatus was on an emergency call or training at the time.

"It's concerning in that we at the township need to know that equipment that we own ... we need to know how they're used," Wolfe said. "We don't permit them to leave the township without our permission."

The arrival of the first set of fire engines is part of a bigger plan to replace the ageing fleet in a number of fire stations. More fire engines will likely also mean the City can respond to emergencies faster, which has been a major concern over the years.

The mayor said that the alarming growth in the population each year is putting a strain on already over-stretched resources.

The donation was made possible when the Town of Hanover Fire Department received a federal grant for a new aerial platform. The grant came with the stipulation that the old truck could not be resold or given to another fire department as a first-line piece of equipment. It could only be scrapped or donated to an educational institution. Rather than scrapping it, Hanover chose to donate it to the Barnstable County Fire & Rescue Training Academy. The new rig will replace the Academy’s current ladder truck, which has a cracked frame.

According to Assistant Fire Chief Andrew Allen, the new fire truck is fully equipped for firefighting as well as special hazard and rescue tools. Instructors came from the German company that manufactured the vehicle and trained Darby firefighters on daily operations as well as regular maintenance of the vehicle. "Due to the peculiarity of this vehicle, all the equipment is in compartments and very tightly stored up," said Karl Hubert, instructor.