There are certain things that the little boy or girl in every firefighter is looking for in a fire truck. It must be big and it must be red. Our new rescue truck more than meets that mark. The truck stands at ten feet six inches tall is shiny red and white. However the down to earth practice firefighter is looking beyond size and color and must see a machine that will carry heavy lifesaving equipment, compressed air for breathing and the latest communication electronics.
Our truck committee spent countless hours planning the location of every rescue tool, power saw, generator, water entry gear and Jaws of Life equipment. The theme of the truck was predicated upon efficient use of space and ease of equipment deployment. Many hours were spent in lively discussion over the location of each item. The result is a capable rescue truck that will respond to all incidents in Andover and carry the tools and equipment needed to save lives and property.
The truck was placed in service in March and is housed in the Main Street Station. We must now train our team to use the cascade system for filling our air packs at a fire, using the on board generator system, and the light tower that deploys from the roof of the rescue. Though much of the equipment was transferred from the old rescue truck there is much about this rescue that is new and is only useful in trained hands.
I must go into a little detail about the light tower. As I wrote earlier the truck has a tower that is located in a cradle on the roof. With a hand held control the tower is raised and four LED light bars are rotated to a desired location to achieve the best lighting of an accident scene or fire. A well-lit incident allows fire fighters and emergency medical technicians the ability to focus on life saving tasks in daylight conditions. Almost everything we do is easier in daylight, emergency operations is no different.
I want to thank the members of the truck committee for the many hours of good work and many trips to Cornish during design and construction. The truck team is Jake Johnson- Chair, Stephen Barton, Andrew Guptill, Glenn Hayley, Jeff Miller, Mark Perry, Scott Kidder, and Scott Davis. Very nice job guys, this machine will serve Andover well for many years.
The members of the Andover Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services wish to express our sincere thanks to the people of Andover. You have provided this life saving truck for our use. We plan to use it well.
Nice weather is on the way. Take some time to get out and enjoy our wonderful community.