By Brandi Makuski
STOCKTON — The Stockton Fire Department put its newest fire apparatus into service on Tuesday before a crowd of family, friends, and local officials, spmetrowire.com reported.
Fire Chief Jeremy Spencer said the department purchased a 2011 Pierce pumper with 50,000 miles for $240,000, including the rebuild. A new engine would cost $1 million or more, he said.
The vehicle was refitted by Missouri Fire with a new fire body and repainted to meet current National Fire Protection Association standards, including a new requirement of reflective chevrons.
“The cab was fine, so we put a different fire body on it, completely refurbished it, repainted the entire thing,” Spencer said. “It’s like new.”
The used rig replaces the department’s 1991 model, which is listed for sale at the Wisconsin Surplus Online Auction. The new engine, designated as Engine 1, seats six, holds 1,000 gallons of water and has a 1,500-gallon-per-minute side-mount pump, a first for the department.
Spencer said that 18 of the department’s 23 members have already completed 12 hours of training on the new engine, ensuring they are qualified to operate it.
“This engine will handle all structure fire and auto extrication-related tasks within Stockton,” Spencer said. “Our second engine, a 2006 Rosenbauer, will now be designated for mutual aid.”
A push-in ceremony for the new rig was held on July 23. It’s a tradition that includes a symbolic washing and drying of the new vehicle before it’s manually pushed into the fire department bay.
“This tradition dates back to the 1800s when fire departments had horses that would pull the apparatus to the fire,” Spencer said. “They would uncouple the horses, wash them, and push the apparatus back into the bay. That’s what we’re symbolizing tonight by wetting the apparatus down, or ‘washing of the horses,’ and the pushing in of the apparatus.”
Spencer and other department members, Town Chairman Mike Bronk, and others from the community, all assisted with the push-in. County Board Supervisor Jeanne Dodge (D21), who represents Stockton, was also in attendance with others from the Town Board.
“We’ve never done this before, and we’re just as excited for this opportunity as you all are,” Spencer said.
Bronk highlighted the town’s prudence behind the purchase. Stockton took out a loan to buy and refurbish the engine — and is currently the only debt that the municipality holds.
“The engine we replaced was a short-term solution. By purchasing this refurbished engine, we saved significantly compared to buying new,” Bronk said. “It’s like having a new engine with upgraded features, such as interior airbags, for a fraction of the cost.”
Despite a flat tax base in recent years, Stockton has maintained fiscal responsibility, avoiding debt for roads and equipment, except for this engine.
“We run the town like a household, being frugal where we can,” Bronk said. “This purchase is a testament to our commitment to providing quality services without overburdening our taxpayers.”
