Brand new ladder truck? A cool million.
Price to certify staff to drive it? $100,000
Price to build a new station because it won’t fit inside the ones you have? Priceless.
The Clarksville (IN) Fire Department must be doing a collective face palm.
After taking delivery of their beautiful new ladder truck, they were confronted with a problem. It was too big to fit in any of their stations.
OK. Think.
Eureka! Apparently the only station large enough to house the new apparatus was their Station 3, so they raised the door to fit it in. Problem solved.
Or not.
You see, Station 3 is staffed by volunteers with this combination department. None of the volunteers are currently “qualified” to drive the monster.
OK. Think.
“We’re trying to go the cheapest route,” said Clarksville Town Councilman Don Tetley, a liaison between the council and the department. So, earlier this month, the Clarksville Redevelopment Commission approved spending up to $100,000.00 to contract with the neighboring McCullough Volunteer Fire Department in order to have a qualified driver there 24/7.
But that’s not all.
Rick Dickman (his real name, I checked) weighed in on the size issue.
Dickman, Clarksville Redevelopment Director, noted that the size problem won’t be long-lasting an issue much longer for long. That problem will be licked solved when a proposed new firehouse — to replace nearly 40-year old Station No. 2 – is erected built.
Ahh. Now it seems to make more sense…
Stay Stoked!
-J
What You’ve Said