Ladder truck takes firefighters to new heights

This new 75 foot ladder/pumper truck will be put into service within a few weeks, according to Shelbyville Fire Chief John Habel. (T-G Photo by Brian Mosely) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

Shelbyville's fire department was busy Friday getting familiar with its newest piece of equipment -- a 75-foot ladder truck.

Fire Chief John Habel said the addition of the new truck to the fleet, which arrived Thursday, would result in more credit for the city's ISO (Insurance Services Office) rating.

ISO works for insurance companies and rates communities all across the country. Looking at the water supply, communications and fire departments, ISO reviews the fire suppression capabilities of a community and assigns a Public Protection Classification (PPC) -- a number from 1 to 10.

The lower the number, the better the fire protection and therefore, reduced insurance rates for homeowners within the response area can be the result.

Habel said the new truck was obtained via a $475,000 U.S. Department of Homeland Security vehicle acquisition grant, which was announced last September.

The truck cost $559,000 and the city's portion of the matching grant was $84,000, which was ironic because the snorkel truck that the new vehicle replaces cost about $80,000 when it was new 35 years ago, Habel said.

The new truck has a pumper, which will mean more ISO credits, and is a "state-of-the-art, modern piece of equipment." It can be used both as a pump or ladder truck, Habel said.

"It just gives us a lot more options," Habel said.

But training still remains to be done before the vehicle is put into service. Habel expects the truck will be ready for duty in the third week of September.

All three shifts will be trained by a factory representative, Habel said. The chief had gone to Wisconsin to give the truck a final once over and then it was transported to Olive Branch, Miss., for an inspection at the dealership.

Habel said last year that the new truck will 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, giving the city another reserve truck when it builds a third fire hall in coming years.

The chief said at the time that in the planning for the future growth of Shelbyville, getting the new pumper truck was the most expensive step the department had to take, aside from building the hall and hiring 12 people to staff it.