The Magnolia Volunteer Fire Department has purchased a new fire engine to replace an older engine at Station 183.
The new engine, a 2014 Ferrara Igniter Fire Engine, provides the latest in fire engine technology and is equipped with a larger water pump and tank, as well as a compressed air foam system, said Gary Vincent, Magnolia VFD fire chief. The new engine will replace a 14-year-old engine at one of the department's highest volume stations, Sta. 183, at 26555 Nichols Sawmill Road.
"Periodically fire trucks wear out like other cars and trucks do," Vincent said. "Purchasing this truck was a way to upgrade the fleet and improve the mobility and performance of the fire department."
The new engine was purchased through an agreement with Montgomery County Emergency Services District No. 10, which provides funding and equipment for the Magnolia VFD, and Ferrara Fire Apparatus Company, a fire truck manufacturer. The new truck and equipment will total about $650,000. Vincent said the purchase of the truck required no loan, no tax increase and no use of new tax money. The money used to fund the new engine was procured from the capital budget, cost-saving initiatives and reimbursement money from the federal government for losses suffered in the wildfire.
