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  • Morgan Jones/ The News Cody Sanders, left, Captain Jeremy Holland and Randy Hines stand in front of their new firetruck at Fire Station No. 1 in Port Arthur.

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June 1, 2012

New PA firefighting equipment ready to roll

Sherry Koonce The Port Arthur News

PORT ARTHUR —

It’s been a long time coming, but on Monday two new state-of-the-art firetrucks, a boat, trailer and truck for hauling will formerly become part of the Port Arthur Fire Department’s arsenal of firefighting equipment.

The new equipment was purchased in part from a $2.2 million 2008 Port Security Grant, Larry Richard, Port Arthur fire chief, said.

Each fire truck cost $775,000, and is equipped with a 250-gallon foam tank to be used to fight chemical hydrocarbons. The foam tank will compliment a 500-gallon water tank.

The trucks were custom built in Appleton, Wis. by Pierce Manufacturing, and took seven and a-half months to complete.

The department’s new boat and trailer cost $232,263; the truck, $60,788.

Richard said the boat would replace an aging one donated by the U.S. Coast Guard that the department has used for about 30 years.

“It was to the point it was getting thin. It was not reliable,” Richard said.

The department plans to use the new boat for rescues, and access to various waterways — much the same as the old boat.

The city’s match local match for the grant is $563,250.

All of the new equipment was on display last week at City Hall prior to the City Council meeting Tuesday.

Port Arthur firefighters for the last few days have taken the new fire trucks for test runs.

“Our plan is to put them into service Monday,” Richard said. “Our guys have familiarized themselves with the trucks and equipment. We don’t want their first time out to be at the sound of an alarm.”

When ready to roll, the new trucks will be part of the city’s fleet consisting of seven front line engines. Two of the engines will roll over into the city’s reserve fleet.

The remainder of the grant purchased SWAT vehicles for the city’s police department.

skoonce@panews.com

 

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