Politics & Government
Fire Trucks: The Process Behind the Purchases
North Strabane and Canonsburg both recently bought new vehicles. But there's a whole lot that has to happen between wanting one and getting one.
After two months of planning and almost nine months of waiting, the welcomed a new truck to their fleet this spring.
With a contribution of $100,000 from the volunteer fire department after the sale of a used truck, North Strabane was able to purchase the $413,000 piece of state of the art equipment for the department. A committee of eight firefighters, both volunteer and career, participated in the planning process to decide what features were most needed for the community.
“This truck brings us a front line pumper with everything we need to protect our residents,” said Mark Grimm, North Strabane Fire Chief.
Not only does the fire suppression vehicle have the necessary tools to protect residents, it is equipped with the tools needed to keep the fire fighters safe as well. It has airbags, seatbelts and roll over protection.
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According to Grimm, this addition to the fleet will make it possible for both the current fire station, as well as the new one being constructed on Johnson Road near the Meadows Casino to have a pumper truck, a critical piece of equipment when facing a fire.
According to , who is also chief of the , the process of getting a new fire truck is very similar to buying a new car.
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“When you buy a new car you look at the make and model and what features you want,” Solobay said.
While similar in process, the details involved in a new piece of fire equipment are much more involved. Canonsburg is also waiting on a new truck—an aerial tower truck—which costs more than $1 million.
Solobay and five other members of the planning committee for Canonsburg will be traveling to Appleton, Wis., for four days to look over the truck and ensure that it matches the 150-page document detailing specifications.
“Practically every detail has a line in the proposal, including the right tires, the right front-end suspension, even down to the seat covers,” Solobay said.
The new addition to the North Strabane family of vehicles brings the fleet up to 12 trucks in total. The public is welcome to visit the station and get a look at the new truck themselves.