Firefighters begin training
By Bert Lehman
The Clintonville Fire Department has taken possession of the new brush truck it ordered in December.
Clintonville Fire Chief Shane Krueger informed the Police and Fire Commission at its meeting on Monday, Aug. 10, that the fire department took possession of the new truck, but it is not in service yet because one item needs to be addressed by the manufacturer.
“We did not accept the wheels that were put on the vehicle when we went to pick it up. We made them order a different style wheel that is more fitting,” Krueger said.
The wheels that will be placed on the truck will be more “off-road” than the wheels that are currently on the truck, Krueger said.
He added that the manufacturer told him the new wheels will be available in roughly two weeks.
“It will have to be returned back to them to have the wheels changed,” Krueger said.
In addition to having the wheels replaced, members of the fire department are also adding items to the truck. These additions were planned, as doing the work as a department saved money, and got the purchase price under the maximum the grant to purchase the truck allowed.
While the truck waits for its new wheels, and the fire department does its work on the truck, training will begin for firefighters on how to use the equipment on the truck.
Grant
The majority of the cost of the brush truck was paid for by a federal grant that the fire department received.
The Clintonville City Council was originally informed in July 2014 that it appeared that the fire department would be receiving the federal grant. At that time, the council approved paying for the local obligation of the grant, which amounted to $7,500.
EJ Metals, Inc. provided the lowest quote, but that quote was higher than the approved amount for the truck. Krueger negotiated with EJ Metals to get the quote under the approved amount. In December, the city council approved a quote of $158,500 for the brush truck.
At that same meeting, concern was expressed by the council about the possibility of losing the federal grant if the truck wasn’t completed on time.
In a follow-up interview after the Aug. 10 Police and Fire Commission meeting, Krueger told the Tribune-Gazette that the funds from the federal grant have already been obtained.
“Everything is good,” Krueger said.
Krueger said he hopes the truck will be in service by the end of August.
The truck
Krueger said the fire department has to add a few things to the truck yet, but training will take place in the meantime.
He said tools need to mounted in the truck. The truck does have enclosed compartments for equipment, something the current brush truck doesn’t have.
The new truck will also provided more safety to the occupants as the truck has a fully enclosed cab with doors and seatbelts.
The truck contains a high pressure pump which gives the department the ability to increase its attack time from three minutes to 15 minutes.
“Being high pressure, you’re not dumping as much water so you can extend that [attack time],” Krueger said.
He added that the fire department will be able to use the new truck for more than just brush fires. It will also be used in the winter.
“If we want to go out to a motor vehicle accident and have another vehicle [there], it has the traffic lights on it,” Krueger said. “It has scene lighting, so it gives us the opportunity to use the vehicle for multiple purposes.”
The truck will be part of the Clintonville Fiermen’s Festival parade on Saturday, Aug. 15.