New firetruck arrives

Keith Bryant/The Weekly Vista Bella Vista firefighters take a look at the storage compartments on Bella Vista's new pump truck.

Keith Bryant/The Weekly Vista Bella Vista firefighters take a look at the storage compartments on Bella Vista's new pump truck.

Wednesday, August 8, 2018

A fire truck the city chose to order in July 2017 arrived last Thursday.

The truck in question, a Pierce Class A custom pumper, was priced at $464,346 with a pre-purchase discount, meaning the city saved a little more than $22,000 by paying for the truck up front before it was built.

Deputy Chief Bryan Wolfgang said this truck will be placed at Station 3, on Glasgow Road, which currently has a 2005-model truck that has seen significant maintenance costs. It's also a conventional truck, he said of the old truck, which is essentially a large truck outfitted with firefighting gear rather than a purpose-built fire truck.

"This is a custom truck and they last longer than a conventional truck," he said.

A truck like this could last as long as 20 years, he said, though that depends largely on what kind of use it sees and how busy the department is.

It's also safer for personnel and easier to work with, he said, and should be more reliable overall because it's a newer truck.

Before the truck can be put in service at Station 3, he said, it must be loaded with all the necessary firefighting, extrication and medical equipment, but it won't be long before it's rolling around the Highlands.

"It's everything we thought it would be and more," Wolfgang said. "We appreciate the city council and the city and people of Bella Vista for keeping us up to date with good equipment."

General News on 08/08/2018