New truck for fire department

Miriam Ostermann
Times Associate Editor

 

Due to the significance for the Strathmore Fire Department to meet the fire and rescue needs within the community, town council agreed to spend nearly $40,000 on a replacement vehicle for a truck that was damaged and deemed unrepairable after a rescue mission three months ago.
The department’s 2007 Chevy Silverado 4×4 three-quarter-ton truck aided in a rescue operation at Eagle Lake on Oct. 11, where it sustained significant water damage.
The vehicle, which was used for towing a trailer and rescue boat, was written off and sold to the town’s insurance company for a settlement of $11,000.
“The truck had some damage to it … and yes the mechanic checked it over very closely and then the insurance company came and they looked at it and that’s when they wrote it off,” said Dwight Stanford, chief administrative officer for the Town of Strathmore.
The issue was first brought before council on Dec. 2, where council moved to postpone the matter until the Dec. 16 meeting and directed administration to bring forth more information. Strathmore Fire Department Fire Chief Muir Furzer approached council two weeks ago to provide further details.
“This truck would probably be the backbone of the fire department,” said Furzer.
“It’s a truck that is used for everything, from moving equipment around, transporting fire fighters to courses, for day-to-day inspections, fire safety inspections, and it’s also used for after hours when I need to respond to fire calls. This is the main utility vehicle for the fire department.”
The three-quarter-ton pick-up truck replaced a one-ton pick-up truck specifically used for rescue and utility operations in 2009. Since then, the vehicle was used for a number of purposes, transforming the truck from a single-use vehicle to a multipurpose response vehicle.
For the past six years the department relied on the vehicle for towing, equipment recovery, transportation, and for off-road.
Councillors did inquire about the mechanical inspection, the settlement, and the increase in usage once two permanent full-time staff are added to the department in the future.
Council approved the purchase of a replacement three-quarter-ton pick-up truck that would not exceed $39,500 plus GST, on Dec. 16.