City firefighters get 4 new Trucks
It looked like a little boy’s dream come true in front of Springfield’s Fire Station No. 1 Monday morning.
Four brand-new, sparkling red fire engines were parked in the driveway, complete with new car smell inside, stairs that automatically descend when the doors are opened and side mirrors that are controlled electronically.
“I think we’re more excited about this than anyone else,” joked Fire Chief John Kulek.
It’s been a while. The engines will replace vehicles in the fire department’s fleet that are as many as 22 years old.
“In 2000 and 2001, they got new aerial Trucks, but there have been no new frontline vehicles for quite some time,” said Mayor Tim Davlin as he stood in front of the purchases.
The Trucks cost about $460,000 each for a total of $1.8 million.
“This is really a big thing, a long time coming,” Davlin said.
The police department is expected to get some good news soon, too, with 50 new police cars on the way, the mayor said.
“The last city council came to the conclusion that we needed to spend some money (on equipment),” Davlin said.
Kulek said the Trucks have better suspension and brake systems than older Springfield fire engines.
“It will be safer for our guys. They can get to the scene safely and on time,” he said. “When we’re running hot through city streets, we’ll have better control and better stopping.
“We train on defensive driving,” he said, “but someone comes from behind, and when it’s car versus fire Truck, you can imagine who will win in that situation.”
The new trucks, which are made by the same company as others in the fleet, will also be easily repaired because the city can stock all the same replacement parts.
To prevent the city from having to spend so much at one time again, Kulek said the fire department is trying to get on a steady program under which one new Truck is purchased each year. There is another new one in the budget for the current fiscal year, he said.
The new engines will be housed at fire stations on Stevenson Drive, at Ninth and Ash streets, at the Illinois State Fairgrounds and on Koke Mill Road.
Some engines currently used at those firehouses will be worked into the backup fleet, and the oldest in the backup fleet will be sold at a city auction next year, Kulek said.
