The Town of Penhold has received a $120,000 Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI) grant for the purchase of a refurbished fire pumper truck in use since late December.
“We applied for the MSI funds last year,” said Penhold mayor Dennis Cooper. “There was space in our ‘pot' of MSI money and to use it we have to apply, so we did. The fire engine fit MSI capital guidelines so they approved it.”
The truck arrived in Penhold in December and was modified by Eastway Tank prior to its delivery.
“It has been in use since then, and during the recent fire at Wild Rose Manor, the fire engine performed for almost 48 hours continuously except for fuelling up. The Eastway was a good investment for the town,” said Jim Pendergast, the town's fire chief.
The 1998 model, now Engine No. 1, was refurbished by Eastway Tank in its factory outside Ottawa.
“To make the truck more to our liking, we added options,” added the fire chief. “Number 1 has LED lights, a foam system which is more efficient than traditional water pumpers, an electronic governor to modulate pressure on all used hoses off the engine, radio headsets in the back and front cockpit to decrease environmental noise and allow everyone to hear the radio. It also has a diesel generator for the electrical devices,” added Pendergast.
The cost of a new Eastway Tank fire truck with those options would have been close to $600,000 but the department got it for around $120,000, noted Pendergast.
“We were being fiscally responsible with the town's funds and it has paid off,” said Pendergast. “It has been an awesome addition to our fire fleet.”
