Grand Forks’ fire department is hoping to replace an aging vehicle at its North Fork station, pending budget approval by the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (RDKB).
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Jim Runciman, Chief at Grand Forks Fire/Rescue (GFFR), said the department’s hoped-for pump truck, a Ford F-550 with four-wheel drive, is built to handle the long driveways and forest service roads dotted along the North Fork. The tanker holds 300 gallons of water and is decked out with a pump that can put down 1,050 gallons per minute, he said.
“It’s a versatile piece of equipment,” he said, noting that it could be driven by any trained department member with a regular Class 5 licence.
The RDKB received voters’ approval for the truck’s roughly $475,000 cost through a 2018 referendum, according to a March 21 report by General Manager and Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, James Chandler. The referendum sought approval for a borrowing plan to cover the truck, a second department vehicle and upgrades to GFFR’s Carson Hall.
Runciman said the RDKB hasn’t taken out a loan to pay for the new pump truck. A staff report recommends that the RDKB’s board of directors approve the purchase at their next meeting Wednesday, March 30.
The truck could arrive at the North Fork as early as mid-July, at which point Runciman said the department would hold a special welcoming ceremony for the new addition.
The North Fork and Carson firehalls are both in the RDKB’s Area D.
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