WINDSOR — Local firefighters held an open house Saturday afternoon to show off the newest truck in their fleet and hold a public supper to thank residents for approving the purchase of that truck one year ago. State labor officials also attended the open house to present firefighters with an award recognizing their workplace safety.
The department has had the new, $335,000 truck, which they refer to as Engine 1, for just two weeks. It’s so new that the department has not even taken it to a live fire yet.
Voters approved the purchase of the truck one year ago after rejecting an earlier proposal for a truck that would have cost $71,000 more. The town paid for that purchase with a mix of loans and reserve and surplus funds.
The new engine is similar to one the department has already been using, said Assistant Chief Kevin Ready, but it has a few upgraded features, including a mechanism for targeting fires that are burning gasoline with ethanol in it. A couple years ago, Ready said, a car caught fire during one of the demolition derbies at the Windsor Fairgrounds and the ethanol gasoline made for a tricky response.
The new truck also has a longer nozzle on its deck gun, which is a way to spray a powerful stream of water a long distance. That can be useful during large fires that are difficult to get close to, Ready said, but he added those types of fires are not common.
The truck was made by E-One, a manufacturer based in Florida. It replaced a 28-year-old pumper the department bought used in the late 1990s and retired because of its age and deteriorating condition.
At the open house Saturday afternoon, firefighters also received an award from the state Department of Labor — known as the SHAPE award — that recognizes a public agency’s compliance with health and safety standards.
Charles Eichacker — 621-5642
Twitter: @ceichacker
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