New fire truck to better assist at crashes

Members of the Lovell Volunteer Fire Dept. will be better able to respond to vehicle crashes and other emergencies thanks to the recent purchase of a new extrication truck.Chief Jim Minchow said the truck, a 2012 International 4400 with a Spartan fire truck body, will replace the current Truck 51, which is 13 years old. It was made by Crimson Fire Service of Ocala, Fla., and sold to the LVFD by Carl Becker, formerly with Becker Fire Service of Casper.[caption id="attachment_3945" align="alignright" width="451" caption="Lovell Fire Capt. Bob Mangus and Fire Chief Jim Minchow stand in front of the department’s new extrication truck that has many modern features."][/caption]“It is a bigger truck and will run the mountain easier and also has an engine brake for coming off the mountain,” Minchow said.The fire truck has a 330-horsepower diesel engine, he added.Some of the truck’s modern features include:• A generator and electric plug-in box with a long power cord.• 100 feet of cord for a Jaws of Live extrication device.• A lot of extra storage not available in the current truck.• A 500-gallon water tank, compared to the 300-gallon tank in the older truck.• Air pack seats that allow firemen to don their air packs while driving to the scene of a crash or fire.• A tripod tool and harness system for confined space rescues like trenches, tanks and the like.• A diesel engine in the back to run the truck’s pump.• Both Class A and Class B foam for wood or petroleum fires.• Rescue jacks to stabilize a car and air bags to lift vehicles as large as a truck.The LVFD wrote its own grant for the $252,000 truck and was awarded a $125,000 grant from the State Loan and Investment Board.“We appreciate the support of the SLIB Board,” Minchow said. “They’ve always been supportive, especially (Secretary of State) Max (Maxfield) and (State Treasurer) Joe (Meyer) for years.”Minchow said the department now has nine trucks, three pickups, three trailers and a Kubota side by side.By David Peck