Date: Mon 02-Sep-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

Botsford-Fire-Rescue-truck

Full Text:

with cut: A New Rescue Truck For Botsford

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

The United Fire Company of Botsford has rolled out Rescue 53, a heavy truck

which the company will use to haul tools for rescue work at fires, accidents

and other emergencies.

The large truck is painted a distinctive and highly visible fluorescent

yellow-green.

Botsford put the rescue truck on the road July 21, said Assistant Chief Pete

Stone, who heads the fire company's fire truck committee. He termed it "a big

rolling tool box."

Until recently, the fire company had been using an outdated rescue truck which

was stuffed full of the various equipment that a rescue crew needs to perform

its duties. The old rescue truck, a 1978 Chevrolet C-30 truck, which the fire

company bought from the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps for $2,000 in 1985,

now sits in a truck bay at the fire station. The fire company plans to sell

the vehicle, Mr Stone said.

The fire truck committee is composed of Asst Chief Stone, Rich Prasauckas,

Chris Sadlier, Rich Brady, Jim Swenson and Kurt Schramek.

Realizing that they needed another vehicle for the rescue crew, two years ago

fire company officials talked to fleet service managers for the Poland Spring,

Perrier, and Deer Park bottled water companies. Committee members looked at

bottled water trucks stationed at Moonachie, NJ, and Brooklyn, NY. In

September 1995, the fire company bought a truck which had been used by the

Deer Park Water Company to haul water to customers in Brooklyn, Mr Stone said.

Perrier, the parent company of Deer Park, took a $6,000 loss on the truck's

value, because the fire company could only afford to spend $2,000 for a used

truck, not the $8,000 price of the vehicle, the assistant chief said.

The 1988 International-S 1900 turbocharged diesel with a five-speed automatic

transmission had 49,000 original miles on it and was found to be in excellent

mechanical shape, he said. The truck has eight aluminum bays with roll-up

doors which originally held bottled water. Those bays are now used to carry

various rescue equipment, such as a hydraulic prying tool, emergency lighting,

air tanks for firefighters and rigging equipment.

Starting in October last year, fire department members pitched in and did a

variety of work to refit the vehicle for rescue work. They did body work,

replaced damaged door slats, installed emergency lighting and switching

panels, placed sirens in the vehicle, and installed flooring and shelving.

Outside contractors came in to do the necessary welding, seat refurbishment

and painting and striping, according to Mr Stone.

One advantage of buying an existing large delivery truck and refitting it for

rescue work is that fire company members will be able to add more shelving and

bracketing, as needed, as new equipment storage requirements arise, he said.

The truck has a gross vehicle capacity of 25,500 pounds. As now outfitted, the

truck has almost 10,000 pounds of carrying capacity remaining.

The new vehicle is much better for carting equipment than the old ambulance

the company was using, Mr Stone said.

Through private fund raising work, the fire company raised the $13,200 which

was needed for the truck's purchase and improvements. Besides its annual fund

drive, to raise money the company sells swimming pool water, Easter flowers,

and Christmas trees.

If the company were to buy a brand new rescue truck, it would between $35,000

and $50,000, depending on the options included, he said.

Rescue 53 joins the fire company's fleet of four other fire trucks, Engine 51,

Engine 52, Tanker 59 and Brush Truck 55.