Michigan Fire Apparatus Fails During a Fire

In September, the Jonesville fire department in Michigan got a call for a garage on fire in Litchfield Township.

When they arrived at the scene, firefighters noticed water pouring from under the truck, according to a Hillsdale Daily News story.

The pumper/tanker multi-purpose apparatus truck had suffered multiple critical failures and was unable to help put out the fire.

Luckily, the fire was a car in a garage, which didn’t need water from the apparatus to put out.

The story reports that the company that made the tank is no longer in business. Overall, the tank was poorly designed. The welds on the tank were not sufficient and the baffles were too thin.

The pumper/tanker apparatus was purchased in 2016 with a $37,500 grant from the USDA Rural Development.

Dipping into the Fire Truck Reserve Fund

In the story, Public Safety Director Kurt Etter said it would cost $32,000 without a warranty to repair the tank. Or a brand-new tank would cost $41,225 and include a lifetime warranty.

It was up to the city council to approve the cost and it would come from the fire truck reserve fund.

But halfway through November, a separate recommendation was made to the city council.

Adding hydraulic lifts, in place of a manual lift, would allow easy access to the tank and help prevent firefighter injuries. It would cost an additional $4,000.

The city council approved up to $46,000 for a new tank and hydraulic lift installation.

During the truck repairs, Etter and Fire Chief Dean Adair are working to borrow a tanker so the firefighters can continue their services.