Breitung Township adds rescue unit at Station 1
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QUINNESEC -- Breitung Township Fire Department has a "new" rescue unit at its Station 1.
Though new to Breitung Township, the 2000 Freightliner fire and rescue unit was purchased used from a department in Arlington, Illinois, for about $55,000.
"We spent a little bit more than that to get it to be a top-notch piece of equipment for the township," Township Supervisor Denny Olson said. "We had a good piece of equipment to begin with.
"Breitung Township has really been blessed to be able to purchase this truck when given the opportunity. A lot of good people came forward with the idea for the purchase," Olson added.
The township fire department got the vehicle in August. BTFD Assistant Fire Chief Scott Marshall said it took nearly two months to refit Rescue Unit 463, as well as train the station's volunteer firefighters on how to use the vehicle before it was officially added to the department's active fleet two weeks ago.
Marshall said the new truck will replace the station's 1993 Chevrolet one-ton truck that had been used to carry specialized rescue equipment and a trailer that was also used to haul needed accessories on emergency calls.
The combination of the older pickup truck and trailer no longer served the department's needs, Marshall said, explaining they needed a vehicle capable of carrying more and larger pieces of equipment, such as the Jaws of Life used in extracting accident victims from a car.
"With updates and equipment we've added, we'd just outgrown our other truck," he added. "It's a good multipurpose vehicle that we needed."
So far, the new rescue unit has been used in just one call. That will probably change, however. After being at only three incidents that involved an extrication in 2020, Marshall said the department has already been part of six such calls for service in 2021.
Despite the Rescue Unit 463 being more than 20 years old, it should be in service for years to come, the assistant fire chief predicted.
"We're expecting to use it for a good 10 years or longer," he said. "If we bought it new, it'd have been $300,000-plus."
Rescue Unit 463 actually fits in rather well with Station 1's current fleet of four vehicles, all of which are 20 years or older. The department's last truly new truck -- a pumper/tanker -- was purchased for Station 3 in 2013, Marshall added.
Though, in some ways, the rescue vehicle remains a unique piece within the BTFD fleet.
"This is the only one (rescue unit) in the township," Marshall said. "(And) it will be used throughout the township."
In fact, given the mutual aid agreements the township has with neighboring areas, he said Rescue Unit 463 could be dashing off to emergencies around the county.
"Breitung Township is more than willing to do our share or more in the county," Olson added. "We think it's a good addition to the fire department."