Julie McCombs
The Greer Fire Department took delivery Thursday of a new pumper truck that will be based out of Station 2 on Hood Road.
Julie McCombs
An in-house committee – Kevin Meadows, Kevin Holtzclaw, Joe Borrelli, Jody Norris – spent months meeting and culling ideas from others in the department to design the state-of-the-art truck.
Julie McCombs
The gauges are checked out for their functions.
Julie McCombs
The design of the truck allows for more space for storage.
City Council approved the truck for fiscal year 2013-2014 that ended June 30. A committee of Kevin Meadows, Kevin Holtzclaw, Joe Borrelli and Jody Norris, were commissioned by the fire department to study and recommend the design and equipment.
“There’s a lot more storage, the brakes are disc (lasting 20,000 miles versus the previous 3,000 before changing), and this truck will mitigate any kind of emergency,” Borelli said.
Borrelli and the committee spent time in Charlotte to view the trucks used by that city’s fire department. “There was a lot of sitting around and talking what we wanted on this truck,” Borelli said.
“These guys (committee) were knowledgeable and knew what they wanted,” said Steve Dill, president of Atlantic Coast Fire Trucks, the company who aided the sale with the city. “This truck was custom designed from the ground up.”
The pumper truck is used as a rescue vehicle in concert with its firefighting capabilities. A hydraulic ladder is on the side and can be moved to the firefighters’ level. Storage compartments are wider and deeper and hoses can be stored in its protected sections. Diamond plating in the cabins will help protect wear and tear on firefighter’s boots.
“We can rescues 99 percent of anything, from a car wreck to typical fires,” said Deputy Fire Marshal Carl Howell.
The truck will be based at Station 2 on Hood Road and replace an aging truck that was sold for parts and scrap.