Old Greencastle fire trucks to aid other local communities

The addition of a versatile new $600,000 pumper to the Greencastle Fire Department arsenal has made two older city-owned fire trucks obsolete.

And because of that, GFD has provided the ultimate in mutual aid, selling the surplus trucks to other local volunteer departments.

Recent action by the Greencastle City Council on Resolutions 2020-1 and 2020-2, allows for the sale of the two used vehicles to the Cloverdale Township trustee on behalf of the Cloverdale Fire Department and to the Washington Township trustee on behalf of the Reelsville/Washington Township Fire Department.

The sale price of both vehicles was agreed upon at $20,000.

Cloverdale is acquiring a used 1996 Pierce Dash fire engine, along with a hard-suction hose, diesel generator, five seats with two jump seats, four quartz lights, ground ladders and pike poles.

The vehicle headed for Cloverdale, Mayor Bill Dory noted, will replace the town’s fire truck that was destroyed in a fatal accident on Interstate 70 this past winter. The Cloverdale unit had responded to an earlier accident and was parked and unoccupied with its lights activated when it was run into by a westbound driver.

Meanwhile, Reelsville is acquiring a 1993 International Marion rescue truck. Included in the Washington Township purchase are two 100-foot-long Hannay Hydraulic Reels, a Harrison Pro Generator 15KW, a command light and a four 6,000-pound bottle Marion air filling station.

The city took possession Feb. 19 of its new pumper/rescue truck built by Sutphen Corp. in Ohio.

The new pumper is replacing the 1996 Pierce pumper and the 1993 International rescue truck, which had no water lines on board.

Essentially, the new truck will combine the functions of those two older trucks, GFD Chief John Burgess has said, resulting in “less maintenance and (the need for) less manpower.”

GFD also maintains a 2009 Pierce rescue pumper and a 2001 Pierce pumper in its vehicle arsenal.