Tanker truck gets refurbished at 25 by Jonathan Crowe
The Equity, Oct. 29, 2003

SHAWVILLE — A 25-year-old fire truck came back to the Shawville-Clarendon Fire Department Oct. 10 with a brand new tank and better equipment.

The truck, a tanker that can bring 1,300 gallons to the site of a fire, was purchased by the Municipality of Clarendon in December 1978. It was that municipality’s first fire truck.

Its tank has been completely replaced.

“The tank had been leaking,” said Clarendon Mayor Jack Lang.

And, thanks to the elimination of several 90-degree angles in the piping, the pumps can now deliver 420 gallons per minute at 150 psi, instead of 225 gallons per minute.

Cabinets along the sides and back have been replaced for better organization, and now come with sliding doors instead of opening out.

In fact, virtually everything past the cab has been replaced except for the chassis, which is in good shape despite the truck’s age.

Not a lot of miles get put on a fire truck — after a quarter century, the odometer reads only slightly more than 13,500 km.

The refit cost a total of $69,809.15 — an amount that had been budgeted for by Clarendon council.

“This investment is a long-term investment,” said Clarendon Coun. Mavis Hanna. “It’s money well spent.”

Clarendon is responsible for the truck under the 1997 fire fighting agreement between Shawville and Clarendon.

“This truck was too good to junk,” said SCFC Chief Lee Laframboise. “(It’s) worth a lot more than they spent.”

The truck originally cost $40,000 in 1978.

While the truck had been away getting refurbished since July, the SCFD has been making do with its other tanker truck, a newer model bought two years ago with a 3,000-gallon capacity.

With both trucks in service, the SCFD can bring a total of 4,300 gallons to a fire immediately, and then alternate between the trucks as one goes to refill its tanks.

“It’s more than adequate preparation to fight fires in the community,” said Hanna.

Tanker trucks are vital in rural areas where there are no water pipes and no hydrants: firefighters must bring their water with them, and then refill their trucks from nearby water sources.

Note: This article has not been updated since its first publication. As a result, some of the facts referred to in the text may now be out of date.