"It's unfortunate and I hate that money was spent on it, but it is an expensive Band-Aid truck. We run it for EMS calls and it's not a truck I personally feel comfortable sending out to a fire first, it would be one of the last trucks to show up at a fire."

Alderman Ron Elders said he was sitting on the council when it was discussed and bought before Barton was chief. He said at the time it was brought up, he wondered how it would fit down the streets because it was so big.

Fire Chief Mike Demers has estimated the cost at $356,000 and has suggested a 10-year lease purchase agreement. Demers, on vacation, was not at the board meeting. Chairman David King Sr. said the financing and wording of the article was still to be determined. "We'd shop around in order to get the best interest rate and financing we could along with the best price for the fire truck," he said.

Now the station at 21-23 W. Franklin St., which has served the company since 1915, is up for sale. The city bought new ladder trucks that are too big for the building. Still, Mayhue hopes whatever happens to it doesn't mean forgetting the years of sacrifice of Pioneer's members.