Hillsboro Fire Chief Brian Gaudet was beaming on Aug. 22 while showing off the district’s new tanker truck that had been ordered three years ago.
“It’s always exciting and a morale boost to get newer, better equipment,” he said. “Our firefighters want to have equipment they can count on to do their jobs.”
The Hillsboro Fire Protection District took possession of the $337,035 tanker on July 26. The district bought it from Southeast Apparatus in Corbin, Ky.
Gaudet said the district will fund part of the cost with a $120,000 clean air act grant from the Environmental Protection Agency administered by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
“The grant stems from an emissions lawsuit,” he said.
As part of the terms of the grant, the old tanker can’t be sold and must be taken out of commission.
“It (the new truck) is replacing an apparatus that’s 23 years old that’s been breaking down with a lot of mechanical problems,” Gaudet said. “This is a larger tank than the old one. We’re going from a 1,000-gallon tank to 2,000-gallons with the new truck.”
He said the new tanker comes with a number of other features.
“This truck is not only a tanker, but can be used as a pumper, so it’s got a full complement of ladders,” Gaudet said. “It’s got extraction tools and everything that would be needed to have on an emergency call.
“It’s been a great addition to our fleet.”
He said the new tanker brings the district’s fleet to two pumpers, two tankers and two brush trucks. The district also has two boats and an all-terrain vehicle.
Capt. Kyle Huskey agreed that the arrival of the new tanker has lifted the spirits of the district’s firefighters.
“You get to learn about driving (the new vehicle). Every truck has its own quirks,” he said.
The truck will normally be housed at Hillsboro’s Station No. 2, at 5750 Hwy. B west of Hillsboro, Gaudet said.
He acknowledged the district waited a long time for the tanker to be constructed.
“(The wait) was from supply-chain delays. But, it finally happened,” he said. “The truck is here.”
Earlier this year the district ordered its first-ever ladder truck from Sutphen Fire Truck Manufacturers of Ohio. That vehicle, a ladder-pumper truck, will cost $1.3 million and is expected to be ready for the district in late 2025 or early 2026, Gaudet said.
He said the vehicle will have a 75-foot ladder and is considered a “quint,” meaning it is multi-functional.