By John Driscoll
The Times-Standard
EUREKA, Calif. — A vital piece of firefighting equipment is back on line after Eureka city mechanics were able to replace a blown engine, saving the cash-strapped municipality hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The Eureka Fire Department’s 100-foot aerial platform truck has been out of service since late June, leaving the department to lean on its 1977 Sutphen 85-foot aerial truck. A replacement for the 1994 Pierce truck would likely have cost about $1 million, Fire Prevention Capt. II Chris Emmons said.
But the city Public Works Department was able to locate a rebuilt diesel engine for the truck for about $35,000, and its mechanics adapted it to meet fire engine specifications and installed it.
Without the truck, firefighters may have had to adopt different techniques to attack fires in some circumstances, Emmons said.
“It definitely hinders us on certain buildings around town,” Emmons said.
The replacement engine had to fit the Pierce truck and also provide the horsepower required to power the truck’s pump and hydraulic systems.
Public Works Director Bruce Young said that the job was complex, and that locating engines for trucks gets more difficult as they age. He said that the mechanics definitely saved the city considerable money by doing the job in house.
“We feel pretty good about that and that the guys worked hard and made it a priority,” Young said.
The industry standard for a front-line fire apparatus is 15 years, with another 10 years in reserve, the fire department said.
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