Altoona Fire Department receives $500K truck

Altoona (WQOW) - The Altoona Fire Department purchased a $500,000 fire truck to replace older engines in the feet. 

The fire department said the new truck will help lighten the load when it comes to fighting fires, equipped with a digital control panel for the pumps. Altoona firefighters were also anticipating an increased demand with new development and larger buildings entering the area. Fire crews and EMS responded to nearly 780 calls last year, and are on pace to hit 1,000 in 2016. Altoona Fire and Rescue bought the truck from Custom Fire in Osceola last July and spent nearly $36,000 on equipment. It just entered the garage Tuesday night. 

"It is a huge investment, but it is an investment for the community," Altoona Police and Fire Chief Jesse James said. "We as an agency plan on protecting and taking care of our equipment that we are blessed to get. This was a huge need for our community with the growth, the population we are seeing in Altoona, so this is just going to make us a safer place to live."

The fire department said many trucks in the fleet are over 20 years old, and now it can retire one. The department expects to use this new truck for over 20 years. The new addition will bring them to three fire trucks, one heavy-rescue vehicle, a brush truck, and an EMS support vehicle. 

The Altoona Fire Department is still looking for volunteers to join its fire crew.