Fairfield?s new fire truck: from ?Vega to Cadillac?

The Fairfield Fire Department?s station recently became a full house with the addition of a 3,000-gallon tanker truck.

The tanker, a 2010 Freightliner from Midwest Fire of Luverne, Minn., arrived in Fairfield July 26 to replace the fire department?s 1982 Ford tanker. The $181,853 purchase is on the heels of the department receiving authorization by the city of Fairfield to spend $500,000 on two new fire trucks this year.

Firefighter Mike Crew explained why the new truck is better for the fire department and for Fairfield, starting with its size.

The Freightliner is much larger than the 1982 tanker, holding 3,000 gallons of water compared to the 1,500-gallon capacity of the old tanker. Moreover, the Freightliner can dispense those 3,000 gallons of water within two minutes, about the same amount of time the Ford tanker took to dispense its 1,500 gallons.

For the full story, read the Aug. 13, 2010, printed edition of The Fairfield Ledger.