Town council approved the purchase of a new rescue truck for the Olds Fire Department at its meeting on Jan. 27.
Council set a spending limit of no more than $430,000 to replace the department's current rescue truck that's about 15 years old. Town officials had hoped to purchase the truck in 2013, but the money from the Municipal Sustainability Initiative that would have paid for the vehicle was diverted to other projects, explained Lorne Thompson, the town's fire chief.
ìIt'll do the same thing the one we have now does. It (responds to) motor vehicle collisions, any confined space (rescue),î he said. ìWe've outgrown the truck we have with ice rescue equipment and stuff to do with disaster services. This truck will be able to carry all the equipment we have.î
The department will also be involved in designing portions of the truck to allow personnel, for example, to better illuminate a scene during a night rescue.
The truck is 50 per cent cost-shared with Mountain View County. The county approved its portion of the purchase ñ $215,000 ñ earlier in 2013. The truck is expected to arrive in October.
