Decatur receives new pumper

DECATUR — The Decatur Fire Department received a new $202,000 pumper truck from the Benton County Fire Protection Association.

The new truck is one of two identical pumpers the Benton County Fire Protection Association added to its fleet of nearly 100 county-owned fire-service vehicles. The other truck was given to the Piney Point Fire Department.

Decatur’s new truck will replace a 1980 model pumper truck which will be returned to the county. While the county purchased the new vehicle, the city will be responsible for equipping, insuring and maintaining it, according to Decatur fire chief David Flynt.

“It’s a sweet truck. We’re very pleased to get it,” he said.

The new trucks carry a 1,000 gallon water tank and are capable of pumping 1,250 gallons per minute.

The Benton County Fire Protection provides assistance to 27 Benton County fire departments. Flynt, who also serves as vicepresident of the Benton County Fire Protection Association, explained that about five years ago the association hired an independent company to do a study ratingall of the county-owned vehicles.

The association has decided to purchase two new pumper trucks each year to replace the oldest trucks on the list, as long as the county allots the funds, he said.

“We came up on the list this year,” Flynt said.

Flynt estimated that it will betwo to three weeks before the new truck goes into service.

Equipment from the old pumper truck must be transferred to the new one, and a representative from the company will be visiting the fire department and go over the proper use of the truck from bumper to bumper, Flynt said.