A new rescue truck has been added to the Drumheller Fire and Rescue fleet, and department members are currently working on transitioning items from its old rescue unit and figuring out where everything will go.
In May of this year, Drumheller council approved a total budget of $526,000 for the purchase of a new rescue truck, an increase over the previously allocated amount of $490,000, and on Saturday, October 28 the new unit arrived at the Drumheller Fire Hall.
“The new truck is going to give the department tremendous capabilities,” Drumheller Fire Chief Derian Rosario tells the Mail.
The purchase came in under budget by about $10,000, and Chief Rosario says the department was fortunate enough to receive the unit as quickly as it did as the manufacturer had the chassis in stock. He notes it is not unheard of for new builds to take upwards of 20 to 48 months to procure.
Chief Rosario shares that the department had outgrown the old rescue truck, which had served the department for some 22 years.
He adds, while there are no real limitations on service life on non-pump units like the rescue truck, it is considered best practice to upgrade about every 20 years to keep up with changing technology.
The new unit will allow the department to have a significant increase in storage capacity while maintaining firefighter carrying capacity.
A commercial vehicle inspection has already been completed, and radios are in the process of being installed.
Chief Rosario is hopeful the unit will be ready to be put into service later this week, and he says he is grateful for the tremendous support of both the Town and council for recognizing the department’s need.
