Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
LEESBURG - The sight of a shiny, red fire truck has made the hearts of young and old alike leap as it barrels down the road responding to a call.
Plain Township residents have new reason to feel that exhilaration - and have a greater sense of safety, with the commissioning of a new tanker Thursday.
"The thing this new truck means to us is that we can do twice the job with the same amount of manpower," said Terry Eppley, Plain Township Fire Chief.
Eppley said the new tanker, a 1999 International, has twice the capacity of the old 1974 tanker, at 3,300 gallons compared to 1,500 gallons, which will allow them to stay on scene longer before having to be refilled.
Don Boggs, Plain Township trustee, said the new tanker, delivered Friday, is already paid for, and some of the $170,000 cost will be offset by the sale on the old tanker. The old tanker is still in good shape and has only 53,000 miles.
"We'll be putting the old tanker up for bid in November," Boggs said.
Thursday's commissioning ceremony was attended by the Plain Township Advisory Board and John Peters, district sales manager for S&S Fire Apparatus Co., who supplied the new vehicle.
