They say benefits of this new ambulance are seemingly endless.

"With this one, we haven't had problems. Starts, gets us there, to the hospital. It's just been a dream," Corsica Ambulance Driver and EMT Pat Dockendorf said.

It's not only making their job more efficient but also a little easier.

"The 'lift' system allows us to lower/raise the cot without having to do manual lifting. The system where it locks in and slides into the back of the ambulance," Dockendorf said.

Something that wouldn't be without a lot of support.

"The whole community, surrounding, came backed us. It was unbelievable. People were lined up for food and the donations were phenomenal," Corsica EMT Kathy Zomer said.

"When we step in the ambulance when we get a call, we feel proud and prideful of what we have accomplished," Barse said.

There are 81 current members of the MVAFAA; about 35 of them were showing off their antique firetrucks that day.

Another MVAFAA member, Bob McClain of Germantown, had organized the show the first 19 years with his wife, Rachel. They were at the festival showing off their 1950 GMC/Young mini-pumper, and 1953 Lyman Fire Boat. A 1968 American LaFrance that he and his son, Matt, restored, had been recently sold for $13,000 to a buyer in Massachusetts.

“The LaFrance is the cadillac of firetrucks. I first became interested in antique fire trucks when my son was a volunteer firefighter in Germantown. We bought this firetruck together many years ago as a project,” said McClain, MVAFAA past president and current treasurer. “I also transformed a Lyman boat made in Sandusky into a fireboat by adding a siren light and deck gun.”

They initially bought the LaFrance for $3,500; it needed a lot of new parts and sweat equity to bring it to its current great condition. M. McClain moved up in his firefighting career, eventually working full-time in Dayton for 15 years before being promoted to captain of the second platoon.

“I like working in the big city; we keep busy and average a good-sized fire a day,” said McClain, MVAFAA vice-president who was at the show with his 6-year-old son, Brigham. “I sold the LaFrance because my wife, Trisha, and I just had a new baby girl, Cambri. It’s time for a new adventure.”

Auditor Cole Hatfield said the city will pay $658,853 for the vehicle, a demo truck built by Nebraska-based Smeal Fire Apparatus Co. The city will make a down payment of $100,000 - with the money coming from the fire levy fund - and finance the remainder of the purchase with a 12-year loan.

Hatfield said the city will make two payments annually, totaling $53,000.

"From a financial perspective, now is the time to do it," Hatfield said during the council's finance committee meeting, noting the low interest rates and ability to spread payments over 12 years.

Hatfield said the fire levy fund has an unexpended balance of $236,000.

The Cochranton Volunteer Fire Department purchased the truck new in 2001 and in 15 years have put just 26,000 miles on the odometer and 1,407 hours on the pump.

The fire truck comes equipped with a 1,250 gallon per minute pump which has been tested and certified at 1,560 gpm. It also features a 1,000-gallon poly tank and top mount pump controls.

The truck was inspected and tested before the decision to purchase it was final.

The Town of Wayne’s current ISO rating is 4. That rating is 4y outside the town limit.

The truck gives Wayne three Class A pumpers to respond to fire calls.

A minimum of two Class A pumpers will now respond to structure fires outside of Wayne.