A New Pumper Goes Into Service In Hawleyville

By Andrew Gorosko

Sporting red, black, and gold markings, with chrome trim, the Hawleyville Volunteer Fire Company’s new Engine 331 has rolled into service, taking its place as the company’s primary fire truck.

The new town-owned fire pumper is housed in the Hawleyville Firehouse, which firefighters expanded last year to make room for the new vehicle.

The $283,000 vehicle, which went into service late last month, will be the fire company’s basic fire fighting vehicle, responding to most calls to which Hawleyville firefighters are summoned, explained Hawleyville Deputy Fire Chief Sean LaPak, the fire company’s second-in-command.

The 2000 KME fire truck replaces a 1979 Seagrave pumper truck. The 1979 truck, which is housed in the Hawleyville fire station, will now serve as the town’s designated spare fire truck to be used as a replacement truck when other town fire apparatus is out of service, Mr LaPak said.

The new fire engine can pump 1,500 gallons of water per minute compared the 1,000-gallon-per-minute rating of the Seagrave vehicle it replaces. The new fire truck holds 1,000 gallons of water in its storage tank, compared to its predecessor’s 750-gallon tank.

The new vehicle has an enclosed cab which holds six firefighters. The truck it replaces held five men in a cab with an open back.

The KME has a gross vehicle weight of 48,000 pounds, compared to the Seagrave’s 35,000-pound weight limit.

The renovated Hawleyville Firehouse is deeper and wider, allowing taller and longer fire engines to park inside. Hawleyville firefighters raised $175,000 to finance the renovation project. The renovated firehouse expands the building’s capacity from four to five fire trucks.

Mr LaPak said Hawleyville volunteer firemen’s firefighting capabilities will be enhanced by the new 10,000-foot-long water main being installed along Mt Pleasant Road between Blackman Road and The Homesteads at Newtown. Fire hydrants will be installed along the water line.

Hawleyville firefighters recently held elections of officers.

Elected to firefighting posts were: Fire Chief Paul Basso; Deputy Fire Chief Sean LaPak; Assistant Fire Chief Ronald Nicholson; Captains Will Johnston and Rick Johnson; Chief Engineer Peter Wilson; and Engineers Mike Nieman, Brian Fulton, Gordon Johnson, and Mark Corso.

Elected to administrative posts were: President Cliff Beers; Vice President Harold Warner; Secretary Heidi Evans; Treasurer Bill O’Keefe; and Commissioner Mike Zilinek.

Hawleyville firefighters plan to hold an open house at the firehouse Sunday, October 8, to highlight the expanded building and to display Engine 331.