'Quite a machine': New Philadelphia's new ladder truck nearly ready for service
NEW PHILADELPHIA ‒ Continuing a centuries-old tradition, members of the New Philadelphia Fire Department and residents pushed the city's new $1.8 million ladder truck into the fire station during a ceremony on Saturday.
The tradition dates to the days when fire equipment was pulled by horses. It was difficult to back the vehicles into fire stations, so residents would get together to push them in.
More on purchase: New Philadelphia to spend $1.8M on new firetruck, old one 'hemorrhaging money'
"This vehicle represents an investment in the protection of people and property here in New Philadelphia," said Mayor Joel Day. "Because of the growth of our city, it's vital that we continue to have the best equipment possible to provide fire protection to our homes and to our businesses."
The ladder truck is being paid for with a 20-year loan through the First Federal Community Bank.
"That assures that our tax dollars are being spent to pay for this vehicle, and those tax dollars will stay right here in this community, and that's important," the mayor said.
The new vehicle replaces a 1987 Grumman Aerialcat that had been experiencing a series of maintenance issues over the last year or so. City officials determined that it was cheaper to buy a new ladder truck rather than pour money into an aging vehicle that would continue to require expensive repairs.
Details about new ladder truck
Fire Chief Jim Parrish provided some facts about the new Pierce heavy duty aerial tower, purchased through the Ohio state purchasing program. It has:
An Enforcer chassis with a 605 hp Cummins X15 engine and has a TAK-4 T3 steering system which will allow it to turn around in a 35-foot radius.
A 2,000-gallon-per-minute pump and a 300-gallon water tank.
A vertical height of 100 feet and a horizontal reach of 93 feet.
170 lineal feet of ladders and 800 feet of five-inch hose.
"It's quite a machine, to say the least, way different than what we've ever experienced before," Parrish said.
He went on to thank the administration and City Council for their cooperation in making the purchase possible.
Previous ceremony: 'Community's fire engine' goes into service in New Philadelphia
"In our world today, we see a lot of people in government fighting over things that probably don't make a lot of difference, but they just have to fight anyhow," he said. "When we presented this problem to council and the administration, they're like, yeah, let's do it. Let's move forward. There's no politics in City Council, and that's pretty cool to me in my situation. If we have a problem, let's address this as a community and take care of it."
'It was a very big honor.'
Three retired firefighters ‒ Capt. Allen Daugherty, Capt. Dan Fait and firefighter Terry Zingery ‒ were in the cab of the truck when it was pushed into the station.
"It was pretty cool. It was a very big honor," said Daugherty, who got to the steer the vehicle.
He worked for the department from 1979 until he retired in 2013. He noted that the city didn't even own a ladder truck when he started.
Parrish said the truck will go into service in a couple of weeks, once all of the equipment is on it.
Reach Jon at 330-364-8415 or at jon.baker@timesreporter.com.
This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: New Philadelphia holds push-in ceremony for new ladder truck
