Fire District 26 picks up new pumper in Florida

Fire District 26 Assistant Chief Ernie Walters and Lt. Scott Coulson flew to Florida to pick up the agency's new fire engine on Tuesday, May 23.

The 2015 Pierce Saber Pumper was purchased from Wisconsin-based Pierce Manufacturing, Inc. for roughly $400,000, Walters said. It will take four to five days for Walters and Coulson to drive the vehicle the nearly 3,200 miles back to Fire Station 54 in Gold Bar, he said.

Walters said the cross-country trip should save $1,500. The purchase is being funded through a bond passed by taxpayers, he said.

The new engine will serve many purposes, Walters said. It will be used for fire suppression, it will have an extrication tool to assist in car collisions, and will be stocked with the equipment necessary to perform technical rescues, he said.

“It is a do-everything engine,” Walters said.

The pumper will replace one vehicle that was taken out of service because of its age and because the fire pump is no longer operable, Walters said. It will be one of six engines in the fire district's fleet.

Fire District 26 is made up of both Fire District 26 and Fire District 28, which combined on March 1. The two agencies provide services to roughly 7,500 people within 206 square miles in and around Gold Bar and Index.

The fire district is primarily volunteer-driven, and operates under a four-year interlocal agreement that combines two five-member board of commissioners into one 10-member board, an operating budget, equipment and volunteer firefighters.

Voters will be asked to officially merge the two fire districts in an upcoming election.