Community Corner

5 Things to Know About Wexford Fire Company’s New Ladder Truck

Learn more about the refurbished truck—and how it saved the department money.

At Community Day in Pine on Saturday, the Wexford Volunteer Fire Company introduced its new ladder truck.

Here are five things to know about it.

1. Truck Has a History

Fire Chief Tim Flaherty said the department decided to purchase a refurbished truck for Station 228 as a cost-saving measure. 

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The truck, which was purchased from Seagrave Fire Apparatus, is made up of body parts from different manufacturers, including a cab from Spartan Chassis, Inc. It was first built in 1995.

2. It Saved the Department $600,000

By purchasing a refurbished truck, Flaherty estimated the department saved about $600,000. New ladder trucks cost about $1 million, Flaherty said. The Wexford Fire Company truck cost $400,000.

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3. It Came from New York

A fire station in New York once owned the truck. 

Flaherty said the truck sustained some damage to the tower during a call. Rather than spend the money to get it fixed, the New York station decided to turn it over to Seagrave to be refurbished while the station bought a new engine, Flaherty said.

4. It’s Tall!

The new ladder reaches about 95 feet. In comparison, the ladder on the Wexford’s Fire Company’s previous truck, which was built in 1973, reached about 50 feet.

Flaherty said the taller ladder could be used on the area’s commercial structures as well as the newer home in the Pine area, which, besides being set back further from the road, often include steep roofs and pitches.   

5. Firefighters are Training on It

The chief said firefighters continue to train on the new truck. Just last week, a “228” decal was added to the ladder.

“It’s not even fully lettered yet,” he said.

The department hopes to have the truck ready for service by late summer to early fall.

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