New rescue vehicle arrives
Carla Strand
City-County Editor
Wednesday, Jun 24, 2009



What's red, shiny and now seen on the streets of Abilene?

It's the Abilene Fire Department's new quick response vehicle.

Fire chief Bobs Sims said the vehicle will be used for medical responses, grass fires and will carry extrication tools as a back up rescue unit. The department received the new vehicle Monday and it went out on its first run, for a medical call, Monday night. The city of Abilene purchased the response vehicle earlier this year. A Ford F-450 truck, it has a 2009 chassis, which came from Green Ford of Abilene. Watts Welding of Brookville attached the large storage compartment and water pump.

"It was made to fight grass fires," Sims said, adding the truck has a 300-gallon water tank and storage for seven gallons of AB Foam, which is a firefighting chemical.

The new vehicle replaces the fire department's rescue vehicle, a 1983 Chevrolet box van. That van has a new life at the Solomon Fire Department.

Standing outside the fire station Tuesday morning, Sims smiled as he looked at the department's new ride.

"It should last us another 25 years," he said.