Smithfield volunteers get new engine
Published 10:03 pm Monday, December 1, 2014
At the building on South Church Street, firefighters Justin Balius and Brian Singles present Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department’s new fire engine. The Pierce Arrow XT is outfitted with the latest firefighting and EMS equipment.
Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department has welcomed the newest addition to its fleet of — in fire department lingo — apparatus.
The brand new 2014 Pierce Arrow XT arrived last Tuesday from Pierce Manufacturing in Appleton, Wis.
It’s about to head to Maryland to have some equipment mounted and is expected to begin serving Isle of Wight County after the first of the year, according to the department’s Capt. Denny West.
“It’s always exciting to get a new piece of apparatus,” West said. “It’s kind of like a new toy. It always helps with pride of ownership — that sort of thing.”
Funded by the county, West said, the budget was $550,000, with $505,000 going toward the new fire engine and the balance for its equipment.
Specifications and features include a six-person cabin, pumping capacity of 1,500 gallons per minute, 750-gallon water capacity, 30-gallon Class A foam capacity, 6-kilowatt hydraulic generator, LED scene lights and basic life support (BLS) EMS equipment.
Designed for a service life of 20 years and replacing a 1990 Ford Grumman, the new fire engine is a few years overdue.
“A lot of that is due to when the paper mill shut down,” West said. “A few things had to be pushed back.”
As well as the excursion to Maryland, some training will also be required before the new Engine 51 can begin serving the citizenry of Isle of Wight County. “We always do training and make sure people understand its workings,” West said.
The new apparatus has already been named: In a nod to Smithfield’s main export and economic roots, it’s The Hamtown Express.
Naming its equipment is a tradition for the department. Engine 52 is The Nickle Deuce; Engine 53 is The War Wagon; the old Engine 51 is The Short Bus.
The department responds to about 625 calls per year. Brian Singles, one of its 60-odd members, said getting a new apparatus is “always great.”
Singles was a firefighter in Hampton for 30 years before joining Smithfield VFD about 2 ½ years ago. “Even when I was in Hampton, when we got new apparatus, everybody got excited,” he said.
Justin Balius, another members of Smithfield VFD, said, “It lets you know that the county appreciates you.”
Smithfield VFD, which marks its 75th anniversary this year, is one of five fire departments in Isle of Wight County. It covers 100 square miles.
