Purchasing a new fire engine can be a four to five year process. This year, the current engine will be 23 years old, so in July 2022, a committee was formed to begin the process of purchasing a new engine for the Hand-in-Hand Fire Company.

Securing a new rig is not as easy as choosing from a catalog or just driving one off the lot. The committee generated a list to include the “must have” and “would like to have” features, as well as analyzing the current rig’s specs to be preserved, changed, or removed for a new engine. The committee is exploring a few possible changes including moving the indoor pump panel to the outside of the truck and removing the exterior powered ladder rack. The CAFS (Compressed Air Foam System) will stay. This system involves injecting compressed air and foam into the water stream to penetrate building materials, and it expands to smother larger areas of flames. After multiple drafts of specs and wrestling with what’s needed and might be needed in the future, the committee is now in touch with a sales rep to help write up a 135-line item spec sheet to order a new engine. Once the new engine is received, the old engine will be sold for use elsewhere. With proper care, the old engine could last another 20 years, or be used for other purposes.