The Teulon Rockwood Fire Department will be driving forward with plans for a new fire pumper truck.
Thanks to a $600,000 provincial government GRO grant, the department can proceed with its pumper replacement project that they first discussed six years ago.
The Manitoba Growth, Renewal and Opportunities for Municipalities (Manitoba GRO) program provides municipalities outside of Winnipeg with grant funding for up to 50 per cent of total eligible costs for capital projects under several investment categories.
“Our current pumper has given us quite a bit of engine trouble in the last few years,” said Fire Chief Scott Skinner.
“Every time any major engine work gets done, retesting of the pumper has to take place to prove it’s still a viable unit for fire protection service.”
The fire department is hoping to put out a request for proposals early this year to start this project.
“We are planning for a top-mount enclosed pumper similar to what we currently use. We feel this style of pumper is the best option for our community and surrounding protection area as it is a very capable pumper but has a significantly smaller price tag than other types,” Skinner said.
“The cabin area of the pumper also allows the pump operator to be inside operating the pump while in constant communication with the commanding officer and the hose attack crews.”
The fire department needs a replacement due to the age of its current pumper, which has now reached a quarter-century in service.
“Though it looks shiny and new, the current pumper was put into service in 2001. There are replacement schedules suggested by insurance companies that say a primary fire attack pumper should be no more than 20 years old,” Skinner said.
“We have been working with our RM of Rockwood and Town of Teulon councils for some time trying to budget for a replacement so that we don’t cause a huge tax burden for the area’s ratepayers. The town and municipality can trust that a new truck won’t break down and will allow us to do our job keeping the community safe.”
The department plans to keep moving forward on the initiative since it can take a little time for everything to fall in place.
“We are hoping to get the ball rolling on this project very soon as the replacement timeline could be as long as three years from the start date till we actually receive the truck,” he said.
“The Teulon Rockwood Fire Department is very appreciative of the continued efforts of our councils and ratepayers to keep us in some of the best equipment around so that we can keep our community safe but also keep our fellow fire fighters safe. We’d also like to thank the Manitoba GRO grant program for helping get this project off the ground.”
