Caledonia Argus

Fire district to buy 1993 custom truck

Posted: 11/18/03

The Caledonia Rural Fire District approved the purchase of a used fire pumper at a Caledonia City Council meeting on November 10.

The truck will replace a pumper that needs an estimated $30,000 in repairs, fire chief Chick Gavin told the council and fire district representatives.

The cost of the truck is $55,0000, which will be split between the city and the townships of Black Hammer, Brownsville, Caledonia, Crooked Creek, Mayville, Mound Prairie, Sheldon, Union, Wilmington, and Winnebago.

Gavin and fire department member Jason Leahy flew to Tulsa, Oklahoma, on October 25 to look at the truck. Most of the trip was paid for by a truck equipment salesman.

The 1993 Spartan custom truck has 58,000 miles, a Cummings 250 horsepower engine, and new tired. Its Watrous pump can pump 1,250 gallons per minute. It will be available in July.

ìFor the money, it seems like quite a truck,î Gavin said. "You sent us out to find a used truck and I think we found one here.î

Asked by councilor John Klug if he felt the department needed it, gavin said yes, in most instances, because firemen need backup lines and therefore two trucks at the scene. A third truck always stays in the City of Caledonia, so that the city can maintain a high insurance rating, which gives homeowners a lower rate on their insurance coverage.

Dale Runnigen of Sheldon Township voted against the purchase. He said they have 10 years of payments left on the other good pumper. ìSeems like weíre buying a lot of equipment,î he said. He said that Houston had bought a truck for a fraction of this cost.

Jerry Frank, the Rural Fire District president, replied that the old truck still needs fixing. ìThis is a smarter use of our moneyî he said.

Glenn Kruse of Winnebago township said he was most concerned about the safety of the firefighters, and the new truck would help in that respect.

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