WARNER ROBINS, Ga. (Ghost Studios) – Over at Warner Robins Fire Department Headquarters (Station #1, West-Wood Fire Station) firefighters and elected officials pushed a new $1.1 million Apparatus, dubbed Ladder 1, into the bay officially bringing it into service and shortly after immediately responded to a call.
Warner Robins Mayor LaRhonda Patrick, recently winning re-election, says funding for the truck came from the 2018 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST).
“We are pleased to have a great engine, for a great rate, to help with our great fire department and the occasion is celebrating it being delivered, going into service, and officially being a part of the Warner Robins family,” said Mayor Patrick.
James Drinkard, City Administrator for Warner Robins, explained the history behind the Push-In Ceremony which dates back to the 1800s, involving horse-drawn apparatuses, and discussed the impact the technology had keeping communities safe as cities were developing.
“It’s more than just the equipment, the equipment is a small piece of the equation, the big piece of the equation are the men and women behind me,” said Drinkard. “That sacrifice themselves putting their own safety on the line and charge in when others would run out, that’s what we are here truly celebrating today.”
Ned Dixon, Deputy Fire Chief for Warner Robins Fire Department, says the new truck is a 75 foot Sutphen Mid-Mount Apparatus and brings the fleet to three Apparatuses total. The new truck took the place of another that’s currently 27 years old and is still in service, having been moved to another station in the county.
“It helps in several ways,” said Dixon, while explaining a variety of features the truck has. “We can go from driving on the road to actually pulling the ladder out of its trailer and setting it up in roughly about a minute.”
“I feel blessed because having that support, having dependable reliable people like Chief Dixon and Chief Mock, having the city council and the mayor that are 100% behind you,” said Albert Wright, Fire Chief for Warner Robins Fire Department. “I know a lot of fire chiefs and everybody doesn’t have that.”
Jason Mock, Assistant Chief for Warner Robins Fire Department, says the truck normally costs between $1.8-2 million, equipped, and says that they managed to get it for almost half the price from a Wisconsin fire station as that station was moving to a different brand.
“To me in my opinion, it was meant for us,” said Mock.
Mock also says this will help the department maintain their Class 2 ISO Rating while they work towards becoming Class 1.
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