Bessemer Township fire truck arrives

By IAN MINIELLY

[email protected]

Ramsay - Bessemer Township received its new fire truck Saturday.

It was manufactured in Lyon, S.D., at Rosenbauer America's plant at a cost of $227,650 and replaces a truck that had been in service for 30 years.

Rosenbauer is a "global leader in firefighting technology," according to its website, and the new truck was custom-designed to accommodate the conditions and environment of Gogebic County.

To get the new truck up and running, the volunteer fire department in the township spent all day Sunday removing equipment and transferring it from the old truck to the new one. Rosenbauer would have installed all the equipment at the plant, but transferring the serviceable old equipment saved the township significant sums of money and the truck was ready and in service by 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

New features include an automatic transmission so the entire volunteer fire department can drive it. There are also hoses on all four sides of the vehicle, a major upgrade over the old truck that often required jockeying to make the hoses accessible.

The control panel was placed in the middle of the truck and color-coded with the hoses so the operator in the truck has a 360-degree view of the scene and control of all the hoses and water within easy reach.

The department installed a new radio on the control console so the operator maintains both hands free. The ladders are attached to a hydraulic drop system that lowers them to the the fireman's height with the push of a button, instead of having to clamber over the vehicle and increase risk of injury.

Steve Selin, assistant fire chief, demonstrated a special feature that makes the truck immediately accessible in the event of a fire. The truck has an internal air pump that operates via external power to ensure the brakes are fully aired at all times for immediate departure in response to a call.

The old truck could take as many as three to five minutes to build pressure before the brakes would release, increasing response time. The plug-in for the internal air pump is equipped with an auto-eject cord in the event firefighters forget to unplug. The plug will eject about five feet away from the truck, saving the time required to unplug and cords being ripped out of the wall.

The new truck holds 1,250 gallons of water, compared to the old truck's 1,000 gallons, and has a pump capable of pumping 1,250 gallons per minute, meaning it can empty in one minute, if need be, through all four hoses.

It also has an attachment to mount a deck gun that will expel huge sums of water quickly to drench fires.

The township agreed to offer the old fire truck for sale. It only has 25,000 miles on it.