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It's shiny and new, and the Kincardine Fire Department can hardly wait to put it into service.

The brand new pumper truck arrived Oct. 14, and is slated to be on the road, fighting fires, by mid-December.

That's the word from firefighter Mike Leggett who gave the local press a tour of the new vehicle Wednesday afternoon.

The 2011 state-of-the-art machine replaces the 1978 pumper truck which has already been taken out of service, said Leggett. This means the "12-2" 1988 pumper truck is now the department's back-up vehicle.

The delay between the arrival of the truck and when it can be put into service allows drivers and pump operators the time to each put five hours of training into using the new truck, tools and equipment, said Leggett, particularly operating the truck's new computer system.

Besides all the new bells and whistles, the vehicle comes with improved safety features, such as the front-facing back seats. The other pumper trucks and Kincardine's 1999 aerial fire truck have rear-facing seats behind the driver and passenger seats in front.

Also in the new truck, the equipment is better placed, and the air packs are all stored in back, making it safer for the firefighters in front. The cab is more spacious, and can operate as a rehabilitation or command centre at larger events. As tall as he is, Leggett, can stand upright in the cab. 

The new truck has a larger tank, at 500 gallons, compared to the old one with a 300-gallon tank. It also has a deck gun to direct water at specific objects, a night scan to light up the scene, and a cross-lay device that quickly dispenses hose at a fire.

Leggett said it was like Christmas when the truck arrived and the department can hardly wait to begin using it to answer calls.

The Kincardine station has about 25 firefighters, while the Tiverton station has the same, for a full complement of 50 firefighters.

The coverage area for the Kincardine station includes just east of Highway 21, south to the 10th of Huron-Kinloss and across to the lake, and north to the 7th Concession of Kincardine Township. Tiverton covers just east of Highway 21 from the 7th Concession to North Bruce and down to the lake.

Leggett drives Kincardine's new pumper truck for a quick tour of the south end of the municipality

The front-facing back seats are room enough for local media, Barb McKay (L), Jennifer Schleich and Katy Hynes

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Tuesday, December 06, 2011