Whitefield Welcomes New Fire Engine

Whitefield’s much-anticipated new fire truck, Engine 1, arrived at the municipal fire station at approximately 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 12. Fifteen volunteer firefighters were present to welcome the truck as it backed into the station.


Once the appropriate training is complete, it will go into service at the Coopers Mills station, replacing the aging Engine 5 and Tanker 1.


“It’s great to see a new piece of equipment,” Fire Chief Scott Higgins said. “This is definitely going to benefit the townspeople.”


The purchase of Engine 1 was approved at Whitefield’s March 2014 annual town meeting with a price tag of $269,000, according to The Lincoln County News archives. A 15-year bond with an interest rate of 3.5 percent was taken out to fund the new truck.


The debt service for the new truck did not affect the fire department’s budget, which decreased from approximately $92,000 in fiscal year 2015 to $91,000 in fiscal year 2016. Payments for the new truck replaced the recently paid off engine at Kings Mills station, keeping the fire department’s budget stable.


Engine 1 is a combined pumper-tanker with the capacity to hold 2,000 gallons of water, Higgins said. It was purchased through Greenwood Emergency Vehicles, based in Brunswick, and constructed in Florida by Greenwood’s parent organization, E-One.


The new truck comes with new hi-tech equipment, Whitefield’s new Deputy Fire Chief Tom Feeney said. It has a thermal imaging camera system, which allows firefighters to identify concentrations of heat through smoke and darkness, and hydrogen cyanide sniffers, Feeney said.


Cyanide poisoning has been identified as a major safety concern for firefighters, Feeney said. The hydrogen cyanide sniffer will reduce the risk of cyanide poisoning.


Engine 1 will become operational after hoses, radio equipment, and other appliances are attached and training is complete, Higgins said. He expects the process to take about a month.


Engine 1 will replace the 23-year-old Engine 5 and the 35-year-old Tanker 1 currently stationed at Coopers Mills. “This is going to give us a lot more flexibility,” Feeney said.

“It’s going to be able to do two jobs in one.”


Engine 5 is the property of the Coopers Mills Volunteer Fire Department Association. Once Engine 1 is operational, Engine 5 will revert back to the association’s control, Higgins said. Tanker 1 is owned by Whitefield and will either be placed out to bid or sold at auction, Higgins said.


Engine 1 will be brought to the March 21 annual town meeting to introduce it to Whitefield residents, Higgins said.


“It’s about a week late,” Feeney said, referencing the four structure fires Whitefield Fire Department battled the first week of February, “but it will serve us well.”