Industry’s new Fire & Rescue tanker arrives

INDUSTRY – The Fire & Rescue Department crew turned out to admire the arrival of a new, $220,000 tanker truck this morning, thanks to a 2010 federal Assistance to Firefighters Grant and the town’s match.

The new, 2,500-gallon capacity tanker, replaces the department’s old Army truck that was converted into a fire-fighting tanker and used for many years, said Fire Chief Joe Paradis. “Before that we used an old oil truck,” he added. The tanker joins the department’s fleet of a pumper truck and a squad truck. This is the latest emergency vehicle addition to the department since the last one arrived back in 1987.

The tanker was purchased using $200,000 in funding awarded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant that helps fire departments purchase “critically needed” equipment and vehicles, according to its website.

The town of Industry also kicked in a local match of $20,000 for the tanker as a requirement for the grant. Over the past four years, voters approved adding increments of $5,000 to the town’s vehicle reserve account toward the $20,000 or 10 percent funding goal total.

Industry’s fire fighters will be meeting today for a training session on how to drive and operate the new vehicle.