Walkersville Pushes-In New Quint-11
Friday evening, the Walkersville Community gathered to support the Walkersville Volunteer Fire Company and celebrate the purchase of the new Quint-11 fire truck with a Pushing-In Ceremony.
Walkersville Volunteer Fire Company Chief Matt Staley spoke some about the $1,114,000 truck which weighs in at about 82,000 lbs. The truck is a Pierce Velocity 100′ Aerial Platform, and was purchased from Atlantic Emergency Solutions. It features a 266″ wheelbase, a 500 horse-power Detroit DD13 engine, and Oshkosh TAK-4 Independent Front Suspension. To protect the six firefighters in the cab of the truck, twenty airbags deploy within the cabin featuring seatbelts and a roll cage for side roll and frontal impact protection. The truck holds 500 gallons in its tank and can pump 1500 gallons per minute. A 15kW generator provides electricity on-site during any emergency. Electricity, water, and breathing air can be provided all the way to the tip of the 100′ aerial ladder. It is called a Quint due its ability to serve five roles; its like five trucks in one.
Chief Staley explained that the last Quint-11 was sold to a fire company out of state. That truck was purchased in 2000 for about $500,000. It featured an 85 foot aerial ladder, a 10kW generator, a 500 gallon booster tank, and could also pump 1,500 gallons per minute. The new owners paid a little over $350,000 for the old truck. They left the Walkersville symbol on the side to remember its origins. The truck will remain blue. The purchasing fire company trained on the truck with Walkersville before taking possession of the truck.
Chief Staley introduced and thanked the Apparatus Committee for working so hard on the project to replace Quint-11. He and WVFC President John Zimmerman thanked everyone for helping with Bingo games and the carnival which raised the money for this purchase.
Frederick County Fire Chief Denise Pouget spoke briefly after being introduced. She praised the Walkersville Volunteer Fire Company on its ability to raise funds and purchase the new truck.
Town Commissioner Chad Weddle introduced fellow Town Commissioners Gary Baker, Russell Winch, and Debbie Zimmerman. He thanked the fire company for all it does for the community and stated how proud the Town of Walkersville is of its volunteer fire company. The Town of Walkersville budgeted a $12,500 contribution to the Walkersville Volunteer Fire Company last fiscal year and $14,500 for the current fiscal year.
Monsignor Dick Murphy, Pastor of St. Timothy’s Catholic Church, gave a blessing and lead the gathering in reciting Psalm 23.
The community then joined forces to push in Quint-11 to its new home at Walkersville Volunteer Fire Company. The tradition dates back to the time of horse-drawn steamers, the carriages used by firefighters before combustion engines allowed for horse-less firetrucks. Back then, many horses used by fire departments would not back into the fire house. So, the firefighters pushed the steamers into the fire house. It became a tradition for new equipment to be pushed into fire stations.
After pushing in Quint-11, the community enjoyed refreshments and fellowship in the truck bay. A cake with an icing photograph of the new Quint-11 was served with drinks and chips. Cheers erupted after Frederick County’s Central Alarm rang the sirens and flashed the firehouse lights then announced Quint-11 In Service at 19:37.
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