Richard Froese
South Peace News
Big Lakes County Protective Services has added a new multi-purpose fire truck to enhance service to the entire county.
Based at the High Prairie fire hall, the 2020 Peterbilt 348 with a Torrent fire truck body arrived Nov. 16 and went into service Nov. 18, fire chief Jason Cottingham says.
The Canadian-made truck with a tank that holds 3,300 imperial gallons of water was supplied by Acres Emergency Vehicles of Brandon, Man.
“This is Big Lakes County’s first tandem tender/pumper fire truck,” Cottingham says.
“The fire service is expanding the tandem tender/pumper fire truck fleet from two to three.”
He says the county bought the demonstration model (used) truck for $514,000, the lowest bid received in the tender process.
“The main focus of the new truck is to support the fire engines attending a residential structure fire, commercial structure fire and vehicle fires by providing a large mobile water source,” Cottingham says.
“The second function is to provide the High Prairie Airport with a proper response as the tandem/tender truck has the capabilities for large supplies of water and foam to deal with aircraft emergencies.”
He says the older tender truck in High Prairie, which has half the water capacity (1,500 gallons), will be transferred to the Grouard fire district.
The fire department has a third tender truck in the Joussard fire district.
Fire crews appreciate the new truck that was ordered after the current council awarded the tender.
“Fire service members thank Big Lakes council for the foresight and support for the purchase,” Cottingham says.
The new truck is scheduled to be part of the county fire department for 20 years, he notes.
Acres Emergency Vehicles has been the successful bidder for supplying the county’s last three new fire trucks, he notes.
Two pumper / rescue trucks for the county are currently in production.
The truck for Kinuso is scheduled to arrive in December while the truck for the High Prairie district is scheduled to arrive in spring 2023, Cottingham says.