The Thornhill Volunteer Fire Department’s new fire trucks finally arrived in Terrace this month after a long journey from Manitoba.
Three out of the four made-to-order trucks, purchased last year for a total of just under $3 million dollars, arrived on Jan. 14, confirmed Thornhill fire chief Rick Boehm.
The fourth truck is scheduled for pick up next month owing to a delay caused by parts not having arrived on time due to a global supply shortage, said Boehm.
Four crew members from the volunteer fire team went to Manitoba on Jan. 8 to pick up the trucks. Despite rough weather conditions, the drive was without any incidents and the trucks arrived safely, Boehm said.
With the arrival of these new trucks, the Thornhill Fire Department will now have 15 trucks spread across their four stations.
The fire department placed the order for the trucks in 2020 with Winnipeg-based Fort Garry Fire Trucks for two fire engines and two fire tenders to replace the fire department’s aging vehicles purchased between 1994 and 1998.
Engines are larger than tenders and are equipped for pumping water and structural response, while fire tenders lack some of that functionality and are used mostly to transport water to areas without fire hydrants.
Fire tenders do have a small pump, but Thornhill Fire Dept. Chief Rick Boehm said that they are limited to smaller incidents like dumpster or automobile fires.
Funds for the trucks were collected through long term planning, with the the Thornhill Fire Dept. and the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine putting aside money into the capital reserve for over 10 years.
That way, when the time came to pull the trigger on the $3 million dollar purchase there was no impact to the taxpayers.