January 8, 2018
By: Dwayne Page
The Smithville Volunteer Fire Department will reach an important milestone next month.
During Monday night’s meeting of the Mayor and Aldermen, Fire Chief Charlie Parker said the department will officially be turning 80 years old on Saturday, February 3. The department was established on that date in 1938.
Chief Parker said members of the department hope to have a special observance soon to mark the occasion.
There will also be another reason to celebrate.
Chief Parker said the city is scheduled to take delivery on a brand new fire truck by next week. Members of the department plan to make a trip to Wisconsin this week to make sure the manufacturer has built the truck to specifications. “We leave Wednesday to go and do the final inspection on the truck. If everything is up to par the way its supposed to be then it should be delivered hopefully next week. They will deliver it to us on site. It will take a little time to get it in service. Some of the equipment that goes on it is already in but there is still more to come. Some equipment will come on the truck and the rest of it will be brought in over the next two weeks. We should be up and running by sometime in February,” said Chief Parker.
In January, 2017 the aldermen voted to spend $751,575 over a two-year period to purchase the new fire truck, a Pierce Impel PUC Rescue Pumper, which is a combination fire engine/rescue vehicle. It will replace the fire department’s oldest truck, a 1992 model, and a 20-year old rescue and service truck. The new vehicle will also come equipped with five air packs and other tools and equipment.
Once the new fire truck is in the fleet, the city plans to sell the 1992 truck along with the rescue truck and service truck.
The fire department has three fire trucks, a 1992 and 2001 model along with a 2012 ladder truck.
In other business, the aldermen approved Chief Parker’s request to approve the current list of volunteer firefighters and officers serving the department for the city.