By ERICA BESHEARS
Charlotte Observer

If firefighters around town seem more excited than usual, they have good reason.

The Cornelius-Lemley Volunteer Fire Department has a new firetruck.

The truck, stationed on N.C. 115, arrived from the factory in Clintonville, Wis., about a month ago. It is replacing a 1984 engine, which the town will use for a water truck.

The town of Cornelius bought the $412,000 engine, a first for the volunteer department.

"It's a good thing," Assistant Chief Guerry Barbee said. "They got a better interest rate than we could. They let us be in charge of it."

Barbee and Capt. Greg Shaner took three trips to the Seagrave factory in Wisconsin to make sure the truck had all the right features. The truck is made of steel to better protect firefighters in an accident. It has a specially designed foam system to fight chemical and fuel fires -- important because the department frequently responds to accidents on the interstate.

"It's got the best foam system in the area," Shaner said.

The department responds to about 1,800 calls a year, and about 70 percent of them are medical, Shaner said. Its goal is to respond to calls within six minutes, 90 percent of the time.

Three firefighters staff the station 24 hours a day, which has helped improve response time. The new firetruck has storage space for airpacks that provide the firefighters with oxygen built into the seats so firefighters can put on their gear en route.

Other features include seats for six, a thermal imaging camera that allows firefighters to search through smoke for victims and hoses that come off the back so the engine can drive just past the fire and allow the ladder truck better access.

Shaner said the department welcomes visitors to see the truck. "They bought this truck," he said.

Just stop by the station on N.C. 115.