Linglestown Fire Company Number 1 held a dedication ceremony on Sunday for its new fire truck. The community gathered to be a part of the special event.

In following with tradition, firefighters joined together to back the new truck in and out of the station three times.

A spate of attacks has a North Canterbury chief fire officer concerned for his station and volunteer firefighters.

A car reversed into a bollard and a $22,000 power generator at the Rangiora Fire Station about 10.20pm on Tuesday.

Rangiora chief fire officer Hamish Peter said two cars were driving around the station "suspiciously".

To assist firefighters in Stark County and seven bordering counties, the Stark Fire Department Rehab Unit (Stark FDRU) recently purchased a truck designed for decontamination.

“This new truck has an on-board shower,” Stark FDRU Chief Steve Clark said. “Firefighters can rinse off, prior to removing any of their gear, to get all the contaminants off of them.”

Like the unit’s other trucks, it also has a hand-washing station, wipes for carcinogen removal and bags to transport gear back to stations. The wipes are meant to remove toxic residue — unlike baby wipes, which Clark said are OK but “tend to just smear the stuff around.”

The new truck was purchased by the North Industry Fire Fighters Association for a discounted price of $12,500. Clark said $25,000 in donations have helped equip the truck, which he hopes to have in operation by Thanksgiving.

 The engine was designed with input from the local fire department and included a number of upgrades, Schelstreet said.

"First, the ergonomics are better as there is more room in the cab," he said.

"The design also features an air bag system that allows the back end of the truck to lower so that the men don't have to reach up so far and can walk right onto the truck. We put two years of study into the specifications of this in order for it to be more efficient and reduce the chance of injuries."

Schelstreet said the engine should see about 12 years of active service, followed by another eight in reserve.