From left, County Councillor Richard Wagner, Mannville Mayor Rick Smith, Mannville Fire Chief Dez Shubert, County Fire Chief Mike Fundytus, County Reeve Roger Konieczny, and County Councillor Eric Anderson. Photos Angela Mouly
County of Minburn and Village of Mannville residents celebrated the arrival of a new fire truck at the Mannville Fire Department on July 9. Deliberating since last year on how they wanted to improve, the Mannville Fire Department specified and handpicked modifications for their newest emergency unit. The department is extremely grateful for the large investment on behalf of the County of Minburn, with contributions and sponsorship from the Village of Mannville, ATCO, and Alliance Pipeline. The total cost of truck 920 was $218,000, and it will be used for highway operations as well as on medical and rescue calls. “This truck brings monumental changes to our department. One of the biggest advantages is that with a winch and every truck having a Firefox it offsets manpower with technology so that one person can operate the truck. Inside there is a remote control to operate the pump and bumper control which helps with occupational health and safety, and as a first responding unit, the truck is equipped with a thermal imager and all LED lights,” said Dez Shubert, Mannville Fire Chief. Shubert went on to explain that keeping it lightweight was a goal to avoid getting stuck in the field where fires are. Having worked with firefighters from London, Shubert incorporated some European design including dual reels with a mid-pressure pump that runs a recommended 450 PSI and maximum 600 PSI. The truck has an upper walkway and a winterization package with a diesel heater and houses all of their wild land equipment, rescue tools, stars equipment, and a full basic life support service unit. The Waterax pump can run .01 per cent foam at very high pressures and is widely recognized across North America, so if there is ever a need for parts, they will be easy to acquire. The Department requested that the cab have hands free Bluetooth so that by running software from each member’s phone, anyone coming to the call can find the truck or the person operating the truck can find out how far away other members are. They also requested a particular type of scene light which they are very happy with. Without even turning on the truck, the LED light emits 80,000 lumens from a 12-volt battery, and having no generator allows less noise and less weight on the truck. “Ninety-nine per cent of what we do ends up being done with our lightweight trucks. The new V-10 is so much lighter than the Diesel, which is a big advantage and often allows fires to be put out before the big trucks arrive,” concluded Shubert. “What they have done has changed quite a bit from the old style and looks really nice,” said Cheryl Anderson. Residents enjoyed cake and refreshments and even tried out some of the controls. Jody Quickstad, CAO of the Village of Mannville said, “This truck is a terrific asset for Mannville and area to fight fires and provides emergency response. It is nice to partner with the County, and we appreciate their initiative and cooperation.”
Truck 920, the newest addition to the Mannville Fire Department.