2/24/14 - To meet the challenges of responding to incidents in Tyrone Township, the Fenton City Fire Department will be purchasing a new, smaller vehicle. Fire Chief Bob Cairnduff says normal, full-sized fire engines work well in the city, but have a harder time responding to emergencies in Tyrone. Rural houses tend to have longer, narrower driveways that may be poorly maintained or have overgrowth from trees. Large fire engines may not be able to reach residents at the end of these driveways, requiring firefighters to waste time running hoses to from the street by foot. With a 15-year-old engine being retired this year, the Fenton City Council recently approved seeking bids for the purchase of a smaller engine to make responding easier in those tight quarters. Cairnduff visited the Tyrone Township Board last week to explain the plan. Called a mini-pumper, the vehicle is narrower, 10 to 15 feet shorter, and one-third lighter to make accessing homes in Tyrone easier. Its primary use will be making medical runs, but it will also allow firefighters to run hose along Tyrone's long driveways while full-size fire engines pump water from the road. Cairnduff says he expects to have the new engine within a year. Replacing the old fire engine with a similar vehicle would cost about $110,000, but the new mini-pumper should cost the department closer to $200,000. (TD)
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