Posted by Shore Publishing on Oct 30 2008, 03:34 PM
Last week the Westbrook Fire Department officially donated a new brush truck to the town. It will be used to respond to brush fires and to medical emergencies and will be housed at Westbrook’s northern fire station on West Pond Meadow Road.
The department raised $75,000 to buy, customize, and equip this 2008 Chevy pick-up truck to replace the department’s oldest brush truck, a 1971 Ford pick-up truck. Aiding the department were funds raised from fundraising activities including the annual Fire Department Carnival. Two smaller federal wildlife grants–because the McKinney Wildlife Refuge is in town–also paid for specialized equipment purchases like radios and the pump and tank unit.
By acting as the general contractor to customize the rear with storage compartments and to buy lighting, radios, medical equipment, and other items to equip the truck, Fire Chief Ralph Buck estimates that the department saved between $25,000 and $50,000 compared to the off-the-shelf purchase price of a fully-equipped truck.
The oldest brush truck, the 1971 Ford, will now be converted for department use as a safety truck, carrying safety cones and lights to accident scenes. The next-oldest department brush truck, a 1982 Chevy, will remain at the downtown station for use in responding to brush fires and medical emergencies.
- Becky Coffey
Pictured: Standing next to the town’s new brush truck are members of Westbrook’s volunteer fire department: Fire Chief Ralph Buck, Captain Mike Jenkins, Joe Rand, and Lt. James Henry.
Photo by Becky Coffey