City fire department gets grant for new truck

The Shelbyville Fire Department has been awarded a $475,000 U.S. Department of Homeland Security vehicle acquisition grant, it was announced Wednesday.

The funds will be used to purchase a 75-foot ladder truck, which will replace a 1973 truck that doesn't have a pump or tank.

Currently, firefighters have to take a pump and tank to calls and while the old truck also has a bucket, similar to utility company trucks that use then to lift staff to repair phone or electrical lines, the new truck will have an open ladder.

"We're absolutely thrilled to get this grant," city manager Ed Craig said. He said the city appreciated the efforts of Congressman Bart Gordon and Sen. Lamar Alexander in acquiring the grant.

Craig had special praise for Fire Chief John Habel and his staff who put in the work to get the grant.

"The fact that we could get nearly a half million dollars to purchase something that's probably around close to $600,000 is a home run for us," Craig said.

Habel called the grant "a great deal" for Shelbyville and one of the largest grants given for the fire program in Tennessee.

The chief said the new truck is needed with all the growth the city is experiencing. He added that the 1973 truck is fine piece of equipment, but it has seen better days and will be taken out of service.

The grant was originally for $680,000, but was cut back to $500,000, Habel explained and the new truck will help the city with their ISO [Insurance Services Office] rating.

It will also put an additional pumper in the main station on Lane Parkway, allowing the department to refurbish another truck and place it at the station on North Hillcrest Drive, which will give the city another reserve truck when they build a third fire hall in the coming years.

Habel said that in the planning for the future growth of Shelbyville, getting the new pumper truck was the most expensive steps they had to take, side from building the hall and hiring 12 people to staff it.

After writing up the specifications for the truck and bidding it out with approval from the city council, the department should have the new equipment by next spring, Habel said.