Niverville Fire & EMS excited for new tanker truck

Niverville Town Council has awarded just over $590,000 for a new tanker truck for Niverville Fire & EMS.

Niverville Mayor Myron Dyck says the tanker has served Niverville for decades, and it's time to upgrade.

“It had been on the ongoing ‘to-do list’, so this is the year that it's being realized.”

The tanker is being upgraded not just because of its age, but also, to meet the needs of the growing population. 

“It's just a matter of ensuring that we have the proper apparatus to handle the emergency services that we would need, especially for our business park and for properties where there isn't a fire hydrant close at hand.” 

He notes the tank on the old truck was rusting, so the new one will have a poly tank instead of a metal tank. 

They’ll have the tanker in their possession in January of 2025, as they need time to manufacture it after the order is placed. 

Niverville Fire Chief Keith Bueckert says getting a new tanker truck is exciting news for Niverville. 

“We're replacing a truck that's I think from 1990, so it's needed within our department and we're excited about it.” 

Bueckert says it’s a pretty straightforward unit. It’s designed to haul water to and from a fire scene where there is no fire hydrant nearby. 

The new tanker will allow them to bring more water to the scene. 

“This is actually a truck that's designed to meet the standards for fire apparatuses that are water tankers, and so it'll allow us to carry everything appropriately and haul more water quicker and safer for our members.”  

The tank size will be larger on the new truck. The old one could hold 1,500 gallons, and the new one will hold 2,500 gallons. 

Bueckert notes about half the community is not on town water.

“This will also help with our industrial park, which doesn't have water. And if the annexation goes through and we get some more rural addresses, we'll be able to service those for years to come with this truck.” 

With files from Adi Loewen 

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