Chester takes possession of new fire truck

By Cynthia Prairie

Click a photo to launch the gallery. Fire Chief Matt Wilson sits in the cab of the new Chester fire truck to confer with radio expert Carl Noe, who is in the passenger seat. Photos by Cynthia Prairie

The Chester Fire Department took possession on Tuesday Nov. 26, of its new fire truck – a Class A pumper.

Crew immediately began switching out accessories from the old truck and testing the equipment at the  town garage off Depot Street, with the expectation that it could be ready for work by the end of that day.

But, said Fire Chief Matt Wilson, even though there are similarities between the new truck and the old one, firefighters still needed to be trained on the new one. Wilson had gone before the Select Board in February to set the wheels in motion for the new $250,000 truck. 

Firefighter Mark Verespy works atop the new fire as Desorcies employee Garth Brooks is to the far right.

The timeliness of the purchase saved the town $10,000. The old engine is being purchased by the Desorcies Co. of Vermont, which is the contractor for the new truck.

Wilson, who had to travel to Florida recently to make sure the truck was being built to town requirements, said that Carl Noe of Noe Electronics in Putney, who has worked on the radio service for town government,  was working on the engine’s radio equipment.

Firefighter Mark Verespy said the new truck has some great features, including automatic

Police Chief Rick Cloud, who is also a firefighter, helps ready the new truck.

transmission and roll-up doors to make access to storage a lot easier in tight spaces — such as the within the town garage.

Wilson added that the new truck has a lot more compartment space. And lighting is a central feature to the new truck: Every step on the truck is lit as is the inside of the cabinets. And every light, including the spotlights, are LED, which, Wilson said, is “a bit more expensive but the maintenance is cheaper.”

The water tank holds 1,280 gallons of water, 280 more than the old one. And there is foam fire suppression system.

Chief Wilson explains some of the new and required features.

Although there is no crew cab to carry more firefighters, the cab itself can carry three people. A crew cab is beneficial, Wilson said, because personal vehicles on the scene of an emergency can present a hazard.

There is “not of ton that changes,” said Wilson. “But the(federal) requirements change … like more flashing lights.”