WARSAW — Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory has put a new rescue apparatus into commission. On May 20, the Center Street station held a ceremonious transfer of equipment from the current Rescue to the new apparatus before washing the new vehicle and pushing it into its bay.

The rescue truck arrived in the community on May 5 where it was trained on before being commissioned. The bid for the vehicle was accepted in March 2016 from Hoosier Fire Equipment and subcontractor Marion Body Works, Inc. who partnered with Spartan Emergency Response to custom build the vehicle. The overall cost was in the range of $580,000.

The new rescue truck is quite distinguishable, sporting a bright Warsaw Tigers orange color and tiger logo. “The new Heavy Rescue 13-22 is a Marion Rescue Box on a Spartan Chassis, with an large selection of specialty rescue and heavy rescue tools,” says Fire Chief Michael Wilson. It is replacing the station’s Rescue 13-22 that was built in 1998.

The old unit will be gutted and repositioned into the Specialty Technical Rescue as a “Confined Space Rescue, Dive Rescue and Swift Water / Top Water Rescue”.

A heavy rescue truck responds to accidents involving large vehicles, like semis and buses, and can also respond to train derailments. It equips tools that can be used to extricated people not only from vehicles but from machinery entrapment, such as farm or factory equipment, as well.

The truck equips everything the firefighters would need out of a rescue apparatus without luxurious extras. “We took the bells and whistles out of it,” said former fire chief Michael Brubaker at the March 29, 2016 Warsaw Council meeting when the bid was accepted.

“For the community, this is for you as your new Heavy Duty Rescue. Thank you for your support to the Fire Territory. Our goals, to provide the best for our community as an Emergency Services Agency, with professional service and equipment,” stated the Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory Facebook April 28 alongside a picture of the new vehicle.

Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory now equips a 100-foot ladder truck, three fire engines, two specialty rescue engines with trailers, a 3,500 gallon water tanker pumper, three command vehicles, two service vehicles and one grass fire truck. No new vehicles will be purchased for the third station being built in the southern part of the township.