MONTAGUE The Turners Falls Fire Department will have its new ladder truck in service in about two weeks, but was out and about the village Tuesday testing the new truck’s features.
The truck was delivered about two weeks ago, and since then firefighters have received training as part of its purchase.
Chief John Zellamann said having a ladder truck is useful for chimney fires, safe roof operations and safer aerial operations.
This week, firefighters will be doing four days of training on the new truck. The truck was put to the test during the week, as firefighters began to understand its operations, safety features and limitations.
Capt. Todd Brunelle said there are safety features that prevent the ladder from being extending if it is unsafe, for example if the support structures on the side of the truck are unable to be completely extended.
“There are many new safety features compared to the old truck,” Brunelle said.
The operating system for the aerial ladder shows the slope and height of the ladder as well as other aspects of its deployment. The ladder has lights marking each foot, a hands-free PA system at the end of the ladder and a nozzle capable pumping 1,500 gallons per minute.
Capt. Mike Currie said the fire truck is expensive for the district, but it is worth it.
“This truck is going to be in operation for the next 30 years,” Currie said. “It’s an incredible piece of equipment, it has a lot of capabilities for us. It has one axle so it can fit in tight streets. We can reach more with the ladder now and use it for rescues, which is our number one priority.”
The truck is a 2017 model, with a 107-foot ladder that can extend 10 degrees lower than the truck and 80 degrees above. It has a 2,000-gallon-per-minute pump, and can hold 500 gallons of water. There is a six-person, enclosed cab with air bags.
The old truck being replaced is an 1989 open-cab vehicle with 75-foot ladder, pumping 1,250 gallon per minute with a 300-gallon tank, capable of carrying five people.
The Insurance Service Office recommended that the old ladder truck be replaced because there are multiple three-story or higher buildings and buildings that require more than 3,500 gallons per minute in case of fire, according to Zellmann.
Turners Falls Fire District voters in September unanimously approved purchase of the ladder truck to replace the fire department’s 30-year-old model.
The vote allowed the Prudential Committee to enter a lease-to-buy agreement and included a down payment of $160,000 for the first year. The total cost will be $950,000, including interest, according to Zellmann.
The purchase will only affect the taxes of those who own property in the Turners Falls Fire District. The truck will cause at most a 14 cent increase per $1,000 of valuation, Zellmann said.
A single-family home valued at $178,100 in Turners Falls would see a tax increase of $25.
Zellmann said to purchase a new ladder truck would cost $1.5 million, would take 12 to 14 months to receive, making this demonstrator model a better deal.
He said the older truck has an overheating problem with the engine and transmission. The truck also leaks in the waterways and discharge valves, according to Zellmann.
The new truck will be in service this month, but the firefighters will continue to train on it after that point.