Weston Fire Dept. gets new tanker, hosts town-wide home safety equipment sale, giveaway

By Bruce Frauman
©2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC

Under a slate-gray sky on a cold Saturday in early February, the Weston Volunteer Fire Department took delivery of a new tanker truck, a once-every-30-year event.

Chief Brian Lundberg calls the tanker “water on wheels.” It holds 2,000 gallons with a 750-gallon per minute pump. The engine, which holds fewer gallons of water,  has a larger pump and more equipment and it works in tandem with the tanker during a fire. The engine shoots water or foam on a fire while the tanker moves water from a local water source to the portable tank, where the water is sucked up by the engine.

Lundgren Lundberg said the process of choosing the tanker started two years ago with a committee that asked several manufacturers for a particular sized truck with specific features. They chose KME Fire, as they have for two previous trucks.

The new tanker cost about $327,000, which was paid for by the town of Weston. The Fire Department leases the equipment from the town on a lease of $1 for 99 years.  In this case, the new tanker replaces one purchased 31 years ago in 1987. The old tanker will be returned to the town, where, according to Select Board chair Denis Benson, it will eventually be put up for sale by bid.

The Fire Department is responsible buying for all the equipment that goes on the truck, including portable pumps, shovels and the 1,000 feet of 4-inch diameter fire hose that  it transferred from the old tanker to the new one.

New features include arms that lower a 2,100 gallon portable tank to chest level for easy removal by firefighters. When raised, the arms hold the tank tight to the side of the truck. A similar mechanism on the other side lowers large ladders, including a three-section 35-foot extension ladder and a 16-foot roof ladder.

There is also a spot for a 10-foot attic ladder that collapses to the size of a pole. This can easily be brought into a small space, such as a closet that holds the access panel to the attic. Other features include a rear camera that displays in the cab the view when the truck is backing up.

Fire extinguishers for sale, smoke
detectors to be given away

The Weston Volunteer Fire Department, in conjunction with Green Mountain Fire Equipment Co., will offer the sale of various sized fire extinguishers to the residents of Weston.

These extinguishers will be sold at Green Mountain’s current prices, and the WVFD will make no profit from this sale. A list of interested persons will be collected at Town Meeting  on March 6 and for two weeks after.

In early May, the sale will take place at the Weston Volunteer Fire Department station, when safety information will be available and extinguisher use will be demonstrated. Also, residents with fire extinguishers at home may be bring them to the firehouse for inspection.

In addition, the Weston Volunteer Fire Department, in conjunction with the American Red Cross of New Hampshire and Vermont, is implementing a program for free smoke detector delivery and installation for Weston homeowners who do not have protection.

To obtain a free smoke detector, which will be installed by certified members of the Fire Department or the Red Cross, simply sign up on Town Meeting Day in the lobby, call the Weston Volunteer Fire Department and leave a message (802) 824-3539 or contact a member before March 15.

These smoke detectors meet the latest recommendations or requirements of state laws and will last for 10 years without battery replacement.  Fire safety information will also be distributed to those wanting such material.

For further information regarding this program click here.