The Auxvasse Fire Department will soon have a new truck in its fleet to replace one recently damaged while out for maintenance.
A tanker purchased by the city in the fall had been taken to Mid-Mo Truck and Trailer for service, with the understanding it needed to be stored indoors and out of the cold. Due to the rising cost of propane, however, the facility owners turned the heat off, with the end result being the truck's pump cracked because of the extreme cold.
Because of the age of the truck, the department was unable to just replace the pump - it would have to replace the entire water system, at an estimated cost of $45,000.
Fire Chief Nick Kaufman told the Board of Aldermen during Tuesday night's meeting the department has reached a $45,000 settlement with insurance - and retained ownership of the broken truck with a clean title.
Kaufman also told the board he had vetted another tanker currently in Dodge City, Kan. He said the new truck brings several advantages to the department, including:
•A newer, 1985 Pierce chassis designed specifically for fire trucks.
•A higher, 1,250 gallons per minute (gpm) pumping rate than the tanker it is replacing.
•Greater storage capacity - 3,000 gallons versus the 2,000 gallons held by the old tanker.
"I could go on and on about the improvements this vehicle is going to make," Kaufman said, noting the department's total gpm from 3,500 to 4,000, which will have a positive impact on its ISO rating.