Old Pumper 1 Retires, New Pumper 1 Goes into Service

By Gretta Becay

 

The Byron Fire Department has a new pumper truck for the benefit of residents and business in the area that the department covers. The pumper draws water in from a hydrant and then shoots it out through hoses for fire fighters to aim at their foe. The truck is also equipped with various tools to help firefighters respond to other types of calls.

The truck was ordered in January after a committee including Chris Pries, Matt Newell, Tim Vos, Ian Malmquist, Jeremy Zabel and Fire Chief Matt Grant had studied the department’s needs and discussed at length what the new truck should look like and what it should be able to do. It had to be about the same size as the old pumper because of size constraints at the firehall. 

Matt explained that the equipment from the old fire truck – which came into service in 1998 - was transferred into the new truck on Nov. 16 by the Byron volunteer fire fighters and first responders. It was a long meticulous process, and it had to be done quickly because a call can come in at any time and the new pumper had to be ready to go. 

The night before the transfer, a carbon monoxide call came in and that was the last time the old Pumper 1 rolled. 

The numerous compartments and brackets on the truck transport hoses, ladders, and other equipment to scenes.

It’s bittersweet to get a new truck because, hey, a new truck! But the firefighters will miss the old truck because it served the department and the area well. All the firefighters in the department had been trained on it.

One advantage of the new truck is the new design of the seats. The vehicle carries four firefighters in the control cab and two in the front. (The control cab is where the operator stands during a call to operate the pumps, if needed.) While driving to a scene, the firefighters are all wearing air packs when they get into the truck so their seats must accommodate that pack while they ride but also release them quickly and safely when they arrive. The seats in the new truck are designed to do that more effectively than the old truck. 

Welcome to Byron, Pumper 1. And thank you to our volunteer fire fighters and first responders who give their time to respond day or night when called to an emergency and also to keep equipment operational and ready to go.