Christmas has come early for Forbes Fire and Rescue who received a brand new $310,000 fire truck this week.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Mercedes Benz fire truck, referred to as a ‘Class 2’ pumper, is now in operation and could be heard around the Forbes CBD on Tuesday as Member for Orange, Andrew Gee, tested out the horns and sirens.
Mr Gee was in town to hand over the keys to the new fire truck to a very grateful bunch of local firefighters.
The new fire truck comes fitted with the latest equipment and technology which will increase the capacity of Forbes Fire and Rescue team to deal with fires, accidents, chemical spills and other emergencies.
Forbes captain Brian Clarke said the team are very excited about the new truck as their last one was about 14 years old and well overdue for replacement.
“It’s very exciting, my word,” he said.
“[The last fire truck] did it’s job, and a good job, over that time but there have been a lot of improvements to this type of equipment since then ... this one’s got some really good features.”
Mr Clarke said one of the biggest features is that the new truck is automatic compared to the old manual one, which will make a huge difference.
“This one being automatic will make it way, way quicker - it’s got speed to burn,” he said.
“We battled to get the last one up to 95km/h.”
Other features include a reversing camera, radio and navman, as well as a larger cabin than previous trucks, providing greater comfort and safety for the firefighters.
“Comfort is a big thing,” Mr Clarke said.
The state-of-the-art Mercedes Benz truck also has a smaller turning circle than the previous truck, despite being one metre longer.
The rear of the truck has also been remounted and modified to provide more room for equipment.
Mr Clarke said this new truck will be used for structural firefighting, hazmat incidents and road accident rescue and is supported by their tanker.
Mr Gee said the state government is committed to providing firefighters with the best equipment and technology available.
“These firefighters are putting their lives on the line for the community, so the least we can do is reciprocate by giving them the most up-to-date equipment we can,” he said.
“The fire fighters here have been pushing for a new vehicle for a long time and have had to wait patiently while they see other towns get one, so it’s wonderful that their time has finally come.
“I just want to thank the firefighters here at Forbes for all the work they do with the community and sacrifices they make.”
Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) acting superintendent Steven Hayes said they continued to provide its firefighters with modern and safe vehicles for their vital work in protecting NSW families.
“The new truck will help firefighters better protect the Forbes community and will help improve the overall quality of our emergency response,” he said.