FARMINGTON -- Farmington Fire Department's new 2017 fire engine will hold more than twice the gallons of water as a regular fire engine, according to Chief Mark Cunningham.
The new engine, a pumper-tanker, holds 2,500 gallons of water, as compared to 1,000 gallons of water, and was purchased with fees paid by members of the Farmington-Prairie Grove Rural Fire Association.
The association purchased the fire engine from Pierce Manufacturing in Sarasota, Fla., for about $400,000, which includes the truck and all equipment. It arrived on the scene in March.
The new truck will allow firefighters to fight a fire a lot longer before another tanker has to show up, Cunningham said. It will replace the department's 1997 Engine 2, which was sold to Highway 51 Fire Department in Stilwell, Okla.
"We needed a truck with a lot more water on it and the old truck had issues," Cunningham said in explaining why the rural association purchased a new fire truck.
Cunningham said the new engine mainly will be for areas that do not have fire hydrants and will be on call to assist with fires in the city, unincorporated areas and other communities in western Washington County.
Along with firefighting equipment, the new truck will have extrication equipment to help in other emergencies.
It was Cunningham's choice to go with a new, bold, black and red look for the new truck. His favorite colors are black and red and he had seen this on other engines and liked it.
"Everyone kinda fought me on it but I wanted it," Cunningham said.
After the new truck arrived, firefighters have admitted they like the look, Cunningham said. One suggestion has been to repaint Engine 1 red and black to match the new engine.
Along with a new fire truck, Farmington Fire Department also will have an unmanned fire substation on Broyles Street, as part of the new public works building.
The city is purchasing seven acres of land from Farmington School District located along Broyles in the northwest corner of undeveloped land next to Williams Elementary School.
The size of the new public works building will increase from 9,000 square feet to 11,100 total square feet, to expand the office space and provide a bay for a fire department substation.
Mayor Ernie Penn and City Business Manager Melissa McCarville recently approved an additional fee of $19,775 to Key Architecture Inc., of Fayetteville, to make changes in the original design plans to accommodate the extra space. This brings total architectural fees to about $97,000.
Cunningham said the bay will be 20 feet wide and 80 feet long and will be called Substation 2.
Cunningham has discussed the need for a fire substation in Farmington for many years. He's wanted one on Broyles Street and said he discussed the idea with Penn and public works director Floyd Shelley to add a substation to the public works building.
Penn last week said adding a bay to the public works building seemed to be a cost-effective way to have a fire substation in that area of town.
A wall would separate the public works building from the fire bay and firefighters would have their own access into the substation when they are called to emergencies.
Another advantage to the substation, Cunningham said, is that it should help the city's insurance rating.
He plans to put a firefighting vehicle and a medical response truck in the new bay. He will not have anyone stationed there. Farmington has several firefighters who live in that area and they will be able to get to the substation quickly to respond to emergencies, Cunningham said.
In all, Farmington has nine fire vehicles, including three engines, two brush trucks, an 18-wheeler water tanker that holds 6,000 gallons, an air supply/medical truck, a rescue truck and the chief's vehicle. Engine 3 is stationed at Prairie Grove Fire Department.
General News on 05/02/2018