Hinckley trustees approve purchasing new fire apparatus

HINCKLEY TWP. — The Hinckley Township Trustees approved purchasing a new fire apparatus in order to replace the department's aging vehicles during a special meeting on Tuesday. The cost of the vehicle is just under $740,000, and Ahrens-Fox is the manufacturer. Hinckley Fire Chief Jestin Grossenbaugh said the new apparatus will replace two of the department's three vehicles. The current fire engine is nearly 18 years old, and the tanker truck is past its life expectancy at 33 years old. "A couple chiefs ago, they did some refurbishing to try and extend (the tanker) and do maintenance on it," he said. "They extended it for another 10 years, but now it's come to the time that we have to replace it." The new apparatus will have features of an engine and a tanker, Grossenbaugh said. It will be able to carry 2,000 gallons of water and release it. It will also have a pump, compartments to put tools and equipment, a hose bed and it can seat four firefighters. Hinckley does not need three trucks, he said. The department is typically responding to an emergency with one or two trucks, since mutual aid partners bring additional vehicles to the scene. Having one less truck will also allow the department to save on maintenance costs. "All the ground ladders have to be tested and certified, and then the thousands of feet of hose on each truck have to be tested each year as well, plus everything else that goes in with the normal wear and tear of the vehicles" Grossenbaugh said. "Now we're eliminating a third of that cost by just going to two vehicles." The apparatus is scheduled to arrive in late January, he said. Once it arrives, the current vehicles will be going to auction. "For the more rural departments that don't have a large budget, this may be able to meet their needs," Grossenbaugh said. Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.