New Ladder Truck and Engine Rolls Into Forsyth

A new 100-foot aerial ladder truck and engine are now in service at the , thanks to SPLOST VI.

“The new ladder truck and engine are important components of the department’s five-year plan,” said Fire Chief Danny Bowman. “They are critical pieces of equipment that will, without question, assist our firefighters as they perform their daily fire suppression and emergency response missions. They will also help boost departmental efficiency and enhance the safety of our personnel.”

The new ladder truck was used for the first time at a recent fire at .

According to the FCFD, ladder trucks are primary fire service equipment providing critical truck company functions that include aerial operations, search and rescue, ventilation, salvage and overhaul, and utilities control at all fire scenes.

The new Truck 14 is housed at Fire Station 14 located on McFarland Parkway in south Forsyth County. It was funded by the current Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax program, SPLOST VI and is the county’s second ladder truck, joining Truck 1 which is housed at Fire Station 1 in downtown Cumming.

Engines are the basic response unit and the backbone of the department, responding to all incidents. Engines perform suppression functions, medical response, and motor vehicle accident response and extrication duties. The new engine is housed at new Fire Station 7 that opened in June 2011 in the Silver City community in north Forsyth County. Funding for Engine 7 came from the fire department budget.

The county has 12-staffed engines currently in service. Both new units replaced aging equipment that are now part of the department’s reserve fleet.

“This fire department is committed to serving the people of Forsyth County to the very best of our ability,” said Bowman. “These new apparatus are part of our ongoing plan to maintain our level of fire protection and emergency services. Without the continued support of our citizens, Board of Commissioners and county administration this would not be possible.”

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