| Five members of the fire company made the trip to the Hertrich Ford dealership in Milford, DE to take possession of a new 2011 F350 Ford (Gasoline, 6.2L) 4-door Pick-Up Truck with a "Boss" 7'6" snow plow. The new truck was purchased through the State of Maryland Blanket Purchase Order program and will be added to the fleet as Utility 8-1.
The need for a pick-up truck became apparent after several incidents required the use of personal vehicles to transport hose and equipment from fire grounds and to transport a patient from an incident that occurred off-road. The issue concerned the possibility of damages that could occur to these personal vehicles, which we determined to be a risk that was not acceptable. We also had an issue with our current fleet not having a vehicle that ALL members could use for fire company business. Officers and members of the company felt that we had several needs for a new vehicle which include;
1. The need for an additional four wheel drive vehicle
2. The need for a vehicle that all members could could use as transportation for training
3. The need for a snow plow to assist emergency units during emergency incidents
4. The needed for a pick-up style bed to transport hose and equipment
5. The need for an off-road patient transport platform
6. The need for a pick-up style vehicle to acquire materials and supplies for the station/events
Officers of the company became aware of the State of Maryland Blanket Purchase Order program and in October, the company decided to purchase the vehicle. Lt. Harris began the process by contacting Hertrich Fleet Services, Inc. and setting up the order. Available options were added so that the vehicle would meet our needs. The cost of the vehicle was less than $28,000. From the time the order was placed until the phone call was received to get the vehicle was about 70 days. On Friday, January 7, the dealership contacted Lt. Harris saying that the vehicle was ready for delivery.
Within the next few weeks, the vehicle will be outfitted with emergency lights, siren, radio, truck bed protection and lettering. Training for the members to operate the vehicle will also begin within the next week. |
