New Darien-Woodridge FD Ladder Truck Begins Service Today

At 6:45 a.m. Tuesday morning, a new 105’ aerial ladder will be placed in service with the during a “wet down” ceremony.

This vehicle was ordered last fall and arrived three months ago. For the past three months members have been transferring and mounting equipment, and learning how to drive and operate this larger vehicle.

The truck was purchased at a cost of over $850,000 from Pierce Fire Equipment, in Appleton, Wisconsin. The purchase was made possible due to restructuring existing debt, and no new taxes will be involved. It is anticipated that this vehicle will have a good service life of over 15 years. This is the first major vehicle purchase in 10 years.

This one vehicle will replace two much older ones, a 1984 rescue squad and a 1992 ladder truck. Both of the older vehicles have been sold, and the revenue received will be placed back into a capital fund account for future needs.

This truck has the ability to perform multiple functions. In addition to the 105’ hydraulic ladder, it carries 500 gallons of water, a fire pump capable of pumping 1,500 gallons per minute, over 1,500 feet of hose of various sizes, and 125’ of various sized ground ladders. This does not take into consideration the many cabinets of rescue tools, air packs, miscellaneous firefighting tools, and like all of the other suppression apparatus, advanced life support equipment to allow firefighter-paramedics to begin advanced life support medical procedures to a patient prior to the arrival of an ambulance.

The “wet down” is a ceremonial tradition with many fire departments. It dates back to horse drawn fire engine days when water was transferred into the new apparatus and would splash and get the vehicle wet.

*The above was a media announcement from the Darien-Woodridge Fire Department.

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