New wheels have arrived at the fire halls in Gibsons and Roberts Creek.
The Gibsons ladder truck, which was built in 1992, has been replaced by a 2013 E1. The truck has a taller ladder, which Gibsons Fire Hall Captain Bruce McClymont said is needed with newer buildings. “The ladder itself is great for giving us a little more reach for the new multi-storey buildings we’re getting and the complex structures,” adding that it will also make it easier to “get the flow of water where you need it.”
He also said the truck is equipped with LED spotlights, making it safer to use at night. “It’s as simple as putting it up in the air at a car accident, as opposed to using spotlights on the ground that can blind the guys working.”
McClymont said residents should expect to see the vehicle in service in the next few weeks, once crews are trained.
The SCRD budgeted $840,000 for the truck.
The Roberts Creek Fire Department, meanwhile, has a new pumper truck.
The truck can deliver 25 per cent more water to the scene of a fire than the older truck. It also has improved lighting.
The existing truck will still be used, but as reserve pumper or tender rather than the primary vehicle. The addition of the $500,000 truck is expected to improve responses to fires in areas without hydrants.
