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Photo by Ben Schwartz
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Come next summer, the North Platte Fire Department will be better prepared than ever to deal with grass fires. NPFD recently took possession of a brand new Freightliner fire engine. The Rural Fire Board purchased the engine, Assistant Chief Dennis Thompson said. The truck has four-wheel drive capability allowing it to fight fires in locations other trucks couldn’t reach, Thompson stated. The truck also has a 1,000-gallon tank, which addresses a major issue concerning fighting fires in remote locations. “Water supply is the biggest problem with fighting rural fires,” Thompson told the Bulletin. The truck is outfitted with a 1,500 gallon-per-minute pump, as well. The North Platte Fire Department is part of a 13 department mutual aid agreement that covers 400 square miles, Thompson said. “It’s not at all uncommon for us to go to Tryon and Stapleton up north, Curtis to the south, and west to Sutherland and Hershey,” he stated. The new truck seats a crew of five, including the driver. Fire Department personnel have factory training on the new vehicle scheduled Jan. 19, 20, and 21. Thompson said that while most of the equipment on the new truck is similar to that on the department’s other vehicles, the FD’s policy calls for factory training. That way, Thompson said, firefighters ensure that they can use the new vehicle to its fullest. Since the Rural Fire Board paid for the truck, it will primarily be used to fight fires outside of North Platte’s city limits, Thompson said. It will occasionally provide support for accidents in town, and Thompson continued, “If we have a critical situation in North Platte and need the truck’s pumping power, we’ll use it.” Once training is complete, he said, the truck will be out on the streets. “Above all I want to give kudos to the rural Fire Board for their foresight in getting us the equipment we need to do our job,” Thompson said. “The thing about fire trucks is: they don’t get used every day, but when they get used they really get used.”
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