Bill Friedrich found the following information at the news locker.com
Fire department to get new aerial ladder
Good things just keep happening at Portage la Prairie Emergency Services.
After receiving $1 million to build an addition, selling an old fire truck for a good cause, and after more than a year of searching, the fire department has finally closed a sale on a new aerial ladder.
“I think it’s really exciting. It’s been a long time coming,” said fire chief Phil Carpenter. “It’s been 18-months since we haven’t had an aerial ladder, so there’s been a few times where we could have used it, and we have pieces in place if we needed to get one from Brandon or Winkler if it was a huge emergency. Buying a used truck turned out to be a tougher task then anticipated.”
Council gave Carpenter a budget of $400,000 for the 2000 Pierce Dash 100-foot Aerial Platform truck, which cost $410,000 and was purchased from Carriere Fire and Safety Co. 1988 Ltd. Carpenter expects the new truck to arrive in Portage in April or May.
“The (Illinois fire department) we’re getting it from is getting a new aerial and they haven’t got it yet; they won’t get it until March and they’ll have to do some training with it,” he said.
Prior to the purchase, Carpenter and a Carriere Fire representative Ben Vanderzwaag went to Bedford Park, Illinois, to inspect and test the unite to ensure it was in working condition. Carriere Fire will “Canadianize” the aerial ladder, according to Carpenter, by putting in a heater in the pump compartment, new tires, paint, and rebuilding the motor prior to its arrival in Portage.
Carpenter said the firefighters will have to be trained on the new ladder and that training was included in the purchase price.
Proceeds from the sale of the 1976 aerial truck and 1984 pumper truck will be transferred to the fire truck reserve. Carpenter hopes to get $30,000 for the pumper and is uncertain about the amount he might get for the aerial ladder as it failed certification. He said the ladder might go for scrap and could bring in about $2,000 although he hopes to get more either through a sale or at the metal yard.
Bedford Park Truck 709 has been sold and will be transferred after the new tower ladder is delivered. Bill Friedrich photo
