In large turnount, Knox voters OK new truck

Monday, June 1, 2015 - 15:24

KNOX — Voters approved, 94 to 26, the purchase of a custom firetruck Tuesday. It is designed to make firefighters’ work more efficient, and meant to help as volunteers age and dwindle in number.

The 120 voters who came to the firehouse Tuesday night far surpassed the usual turnout for such special elections.

Knox Fire District commissioners passed a resolution to buy the truck using $236,000 in savings for the downpayment. The referendum authorizes buying a truck for the maximum amount of $850,000, which will be paid for in part with an eight-year lease at a 2.59-percent interest rate, said Frank Fuss, the district secretary.

An expected $150,000 from the sale of the current tanker will go toward paying for the truck, Fuss said. The sale of the current tanker was approved by voters last October after it was denied the first time by a tied vote.

Fuss said the new truck will actually cost a little over $800,000 and it will have several new features.

Instead of climbing up onto the truck to retrieve hoses and ladders, firefighters will be able to lower them electronically, and cumbersome portable ponds, used to contain water, will be easier to reach at chest level, Fuss said.

“We tried to make the truck easier to operate for older people,” Fuss said, noting young volunteers are more rare.

Fewer volunteers are available during the day, since many work away from the firehouse. The new truck will alleviate that problem by carrying eight people at once and more water, eliminating the need for multiple drivers. The custom truck will carry 3,000 gallons with a 2,000-per-minute pump and 5-inch hose.

That combination means the new truck can send water up to 2,000 feet and avoid the need for a second relay truck for long driveways, Fuss said.

The new truck will also carry Class A foam used to extinguish fires that cover a large area, Fuss said; it will have light-emitting diode lights for illuminating scenes at night and it will be built to resist and withstand rollovers.

Corrected on June 11: The original version of this article gave the wrong title for Frank Fuss. He is the secretary of the Knox Fire District.

Updated on June 2, 2015, to include the results of the special election.

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