One North County Fire Department firefighter was taken to a hospital with minor injuries while two others on the rig were not injured. Cal Fire Capt. Kendal Bortisser said. The 33-year-old pickup driver, from Escondido, was uninjured. The collision occurred about 7:30 a.m. when the firefighters were heading south on the highway to check on a reported brush fire near Old Castle Road in Valley Center, CHP Officer Jim Bettencourt said. The fire engine’s emergency lights and siren were on.

The truck will replace a 1996 pumper that has outlived its usefulness, firefighters have said. The old vehicle — which logged more than 131,000 miles and 13,100 engine hours —will probably be scrapped in a few months, Lee said. Some parts and accessories will be salvaged and transferred to a lower-mileage, standard-sized pumper the city also bought in 1996 that is kept at Fire Station 3.

It’s successor will also enjoy a longer life span because of the department’s updated dispatch policy for medical emergencies. In the past, Station 1’s fire engine was among the vehicles sent to ambulance calls in case a fire emergency occurred. That policy was discontinued a few years ago in favor of an ambulance/SUV tandem that frees one firefighter to fetch the engine if needed.

Five firefighters can ride aboard the new pumper, which features a stainless steel body and cab, Lee said. It can bring 750 gallons of water to a fire scene. The truck is also equipped with high-intensity LED lights, including the headlights, Lee said.

The proposed service cut, which stems from the North County Fire Authority’s proposed budget for 2017 and 2018, has sparked a debate among residents over how to best extinguish the town’s $6 million deficit.

Under the proposal, Engine Company 95 would be disbanded. That engine company — responsible for paramedic and fire suppression services — is based at Fire Station 95 (historically, Fire Station Number 5), across the street from Jefferson Elementary School District headquarters.

Engine 95 would remain in the Fire Authority’s fleet as a backup vehicle. Station 95 would no longer have a fire engine that carries and pumps water, but it would retain its ladder truck and use that vehicle to deliver the paramedic services currently provided by Engine 95.

Firefighters from the disbanded engine company would not be laid off, but staffing reductions through attrition, such as retirement, would help the organization reach its budget goals.

Many Daly City residents like Lappano concerned that eliminating an engine company could spread firefighter resources too thin and lead to longer response times for life-threatening emergencies.

The fire engine ended up in a nearby ditch.

Shortly after 8 a.m., the California Highway Patrol issued a Sig Alert for Hwy 395 due to the wreck.

The CHP is investigating the incident.

On Wednesday, a San Diego Fire-Rescue engine responding to a call  collided with a car in City Heights, sending at least two people to the hospital.