The newest tool in the Edgecomb Fire Department’s toolbox arrived this week in the form of a 2005 American LaFrance pumper engine, courtesy of the Taymouth Township Fire Department in Michigan.
Edgecomb Fire Chief Roy Potter announced the pumper’s arrival in a press release Wednesday, Jan. 28.
“We are grateful to the Edgecomb Select Board for approving the purchase of at a cost of $60,000,” Potter said. “The funds were allocated from the town’s truck reserve fund and will not impact the current operating budget.”
The new engine will be named Engine 51 and dedicated in memory of Gavin Martin, Potter said.
Martin, 21, was an Edgecomb firefighter who died in an automobile crash in Whitefield on Dec.16, 2025. A formal dedication ceremony is planned for later in the spring or summer.
According to Potter, the new truck will replace Engine 5, a 1991 pumper that is no longer compliant with the National Fire Protection Association safety standards and was only permitted for use under a grandfathering exemption.
By contrast, Edgecomb’s new American LaFrance engine comes with 20,000 miles on it and has modern functionality and safety features including an enclosed compartment for up to six firefighters, a built-in power-take-off generator for auxiliary equipment, front and rear foam application nozzles for vehicle fires, a larger 1,000-gallon water capacity, and pump rating of 1,500 gallons per minute.
According to Potter, the estimated cost for a comparable new engine could be between $800,000 and $1 million.
The department will put the new engine in service once engine training, driver certification, and logo signage are complete, Potter said. In the meantime, he invites the public to come see the new engine at the Edgecomb fire station at 473 Bath Road (Route 27). The department meets at the station at 6:30 p.m. every Wednesday.
For more information, call 882-9618 or find the Facebook page for the Edgecomb Maine Fire Dept.
