JAMESTOWN – The new two fire trucks City of Jamestown officials plan to buy will be safer for firefighters and more efficient to use.
Jamestown Fire Chief Sam Salemme says currently crews could become sick from toxic chemicals that fall off their suits; the new ‘clean cab concept’ would help reduce contamination.
“We can actually take a garden hose and flush that (contamination) all out,” said Salemme. “The seats are designed to have removable covers on them, we can take those out and throw them in the washer, and take a second set of fabric to put over the seats and the guys are set to go.”
The new trucks will also sport: lower crossways and hosebeds for loading and deploying hose; rescue ladders in an inside compartment to keep them out of the rain, ice and snow; increased fire apparatus storage; and space for four additional air bottles.
Salemme says his crews are excited for the new equipment, and, got the chance to play a role in the design process.
“We had some union members on the committee that helped design and build these trucks,” said Salemme. “They are very excited about possibly getting some new equipment.”
Once the bid process is complete, the new trucks should be in service by Spring 2021. They are expected to cost around $480,000 each.
Additionally, the current ladder truck and fire engine 3 will be refurbished.
When the new trucks are in service, some of the city’s older equipment will be retired while the current apparatus will go into a reserve storage.
Leave a Reply