ARPA funds for new fire truck, equipment
By Jenna Wilson
The St. Joseph Fire Department will receive more than $280,000 in ARPA funds for a new rescue truck and apparatus equipment to replace pieces of its aging fleet.
The rescue truck currently in reserve use is more than 12 years old and has more than 100,000 miles, a rebuilt motor and is unreliable.
The updated truck will be one crews can rely on to support them in the field.
“Very few things are more important than keeping a revolving fleet that’s reliable,” said Jamey McVicker, St. Joseph’s assistant fire chief. “When somebody calls for an emergency, we need to make sure that we can get our equipment to them to help. Having that revolving, new equipment to maintain top-notch service for the for the city of St. Joe is a priority.”
The new rescue truck will replace one stationed on the South Side of the city.
In addition, funds will be used to equip the new truck with extrication equipment, a fire hose and a thermal imager for the best image clarity in the thick of smoke and fires.
Replacing aging equipment has many benefits including improving the city’s ISO rating, which impacts insurance costs, and ensuring citizens’ peace of mind.
“Maintaining and improving our ISO rating is important to our citizens and their pockets,” McVicker said. “Having our equipment routinely updated is one way to make that possible.”
The department expects to receive the new reserve truck sometime in the next year.
“I would be willing to bet that it comes in quicker than that because the manufacturer already has the truck chassis for it, which is the engine and wheels,” McVicker added.
