WARWICK — The Warwick Fire Department has a shiny new vehicle in its station with the arrival of its 2007 Ford F-550 brush truck last week.
The department found the vehicle online in Somers, Conn., and purchased it for $35,000 after residents overwhelmingly supported a May town meeting article that proposed collecting $75,000 through taxation for the purchase.
Though more money will be used to buy new tires and replace the pump motor, which Fire Chief Ron Gates anticipates will cost about $5,500 in all, Gates said he is pleased to return money to the town. Had the purchase cost the anticipated $75,000, the tax rate would have been $21.88 per $1,000 valuation.
The F-550 will replace a 1982 Ford F-350 brush truck, greatly improving firefighter safety, Gates said, as the old vehicle lacked seat belts and airbags.
“It is all over the road when you drive it,” Gates continued in reference to the old vehicle, pointing at the equipment stored in the back. “There’s too much weight in there for that truck.”
The new vehicle, by comparison, runs on diesel fuel, is better on gas, holds 100 gallons more water, includes a winch and has more storage space, the firefighters agreed.
It will also be used in place of the department’s 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe to respond to medical calls.
“Our main calls are medical calls,” Gates said, estimating they make up 70 percent of the department’s call volume.
Being registered already, the new vehicle needs to be inspected before it can be put into service, which Gates hopes will be by the end of next week. The Somers lettering must also be removed and replaced with Warwick lettering, and a radio must be installed.
Having a new vehicle is a great point of pride for the firefighters.
“I’m just so proud,” said Warwick Fire Department Lt. Bill Lyman. “This is a professional department and we’re finally at the point we can say it’s not just the men that care … Our whole fire service is exceptional at this point.”
“We’re going to respond with the best of the best we can afford,” Lyman continued. “Now we’ve got everything the bigger towns have.”
Reach Shelby Ashline at:
sashline@recorder.com
413-772-0261 ext. 257