- One of the two new fire trucks was purchases for over $600,000.
- Department leaders tell me a new application will be one of the many new features to let people know when safety vehicle is near.
- Watch the story to see what other add features will keep the community safe.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
I spoke to leaders from our local fire department who said it’s a long time coming now that new fire trucks will soon help them serve the city.
“This truck has been on order for 18 months and this truck is replacing an engine [that has] 22 years of service,” said Doyle Welch, Fire chief, Bainbridge Public Safety.
Leaders from the department who tell me how the big purchase will promote community safety.
“This fire truck right here will tote a lot more equipment than the older fire trucks. This truck will have extrication equipment on it,” according to Welch.“Our older trucks didn’t have the storage capacity that this truck has.”
Chief Welch told me that the added storage space means more life saving gear is there to keep firefighters safe too.
Early this year the department was awarded nearly $300,000 to purchase SCDA also known as..
“It’s a self contained breathing apparatus the other ones we had had reached their end of life,” said Welch.
Now the department is approved to receive two new fire trucks.
Welch shares that the trucks are funded by the city and one truck alone cost over $600,000.
The new trucks will have cameras throughout the exterior, an application to alert people when the safety vehicle is near arrival, and easy access alerts to signal to firefighters when it’s time to exit a building.
“Having the new trucks available is going to be very helpful. Reliability and less maintenance cost and it's nice to have something new and shiny,” said Ryan Deen, assistant fire chief, Bainbridge Public Safety.
The department has already received one truck but it’s not quite ready to hit the road until firefighters complete specified drivers training.
A second truck will be delivered early next year.
