CARROT RIVER — Carrot River council has passed motions to buy a fire department hose test cart, vehicle extrication struts and a used 2009 Dodge command truck.
The purchases total about $30,000, with the cost being split 50/50 by the RM of Moose Range, and supplemented by $21,500 received through funds from fighting the Bell Fire over Thanksgiving.
Taryn Freemantle, Carrot River’s administrator, said the truck is estimated to last about five to 10 years, at which point the town intends to add a new budget item for the following year to replace it.
“What the three purchases are doing is assuring better equipment, faster response times and just an increased level of care from our fire department towards any people that are travelling in the area, any fires that could happen,” Freemantle said.
The command truck was purchased from the La Ronge Fire Department at the sum of $11,500. This will be the first command vehicle utilized by the department. Currently, the department’s chief uses a personal vehicle with mileage reimbursement to hull their wildland trailer around for rural wildfires. The truck is intended to replace the use of the personal vehicle by the chief entirely.
“Having the ability to have the command truck at the fire hall at all times allows us to get trucks out as soon as possible and anyone who is lagging behind and doesn’t make it with the initial firetruck departure will jump into the command truck and follow afterwards.”
The vehicle extrication struts will cost up to $13,500. The struts are a new addition to the department, in practice they will be used for vehicle extractions to stabilize a vehicle while rescuers remove any person trapped inside.
The hose test cart will cost up to $5,000. Currently, Carrot River Fire and Rescue uses their trucks to test their hoses, which causes more wear.
“The hose test requires a higher pressure rating to test them properly and accurately, so the hose test cart gives them a way to test those hoses without putting the wear and tear on the truck,” Freemantle said.
