By Adam Smith

The North Jefferson News



Christmas came early last Friday for the Gardendale Fire Department when its latest toy — a $450,000 fire engine — was delivered.

The Gardendale City Council approved the funds for the truck in January, but it normally takes 10 to 11 months to have the truck designed and built, according to fire chief Clint Doss. The truck was purchased from Pierce Manufacturing in Wisconsin.

Doss said the truck was purchased after the city cashed in a certificate of deposit. Paying the full amount for the vehicle enabled the city to save about $16,000, Doss said. The new truck replaces a 31-year-old model that will likely be given to a neighboring department.

There are still a few more modifications to make to the truck, including the installation of emergency radios, but it should be ready for service within the next week.

Gardendale Mayor Othell Phillips said the truck will give the department another resource to help firefighters fulfill their duties, despite the cost.

“Times are lean and we’re having to watch the budget where we can, but we can’t skimp on public safety,” he said.

The truck will also give the fire department two modern engines, in addition to a ladder truck. The other fire engine was purchased in 2002 and has many of the same amenities as the new truck.

Doss said the new truck is shorter, giving it an easier turning radius and a larger motor. He said the large motor doesn’t equal speed, but torque needed for the weight of water and equipment. The truck also has safety features like an airbag system and disc brakes.

“The braking system gives us the capacity to stop when we need to,” Doss said. “When we’re out on the roads, we never know what the public’s going to do. The airbags and the disc brakes gives us the ability to protect ourselves.”

Another added feature includes a hydraulic generator powered by hydraulic fluid from the truck’s transmission, as opposed to fuel. The generator can also power a portable hydraulic pump that will enable firefighters to have more mobility when transporting tools like the Jaws of Life or other extrication tools.

“When a car wrecks, it doesn’t always happen on the interstate,” Doss said. “If a car rolls into a ravine or ditch, we need a way to get tools to the site as quickly as we can. With this particular truck, the tools are pre-connected to the hoses, so it could save anywhere from one to five minutes off our time.”

The fire department also recently received more hydraulic tools through the help of a $16,660 C-DAP (Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program) grant. The new tools will be installed on the 2002 model engine, to give the department similar equipment on two vehicles.