The Belvidere Fire Dept. puts a new fire engine into service

By Anne Eickstadt

ANNE EICKSTADT PHOTO Belvidere Daily Republican
The Belvidere Fire Department took a minute on Saturday, April 7 to commemorate the arrival of their new fire engine.

Editor

The Belvidere Fire Department has just put into service a new 2018 Alexis Fire Engine powered by Cummins ISL9, 400-HP Diesel Engine. It holds 650 gallons for immediate use upon reaching a fire. By the time the stored water has been utilized, the engineer will have the engine hooked up to a fire hydrant and it can then pump 1500 gallons of water a minute.

“The engine has a rescue body so it has extra storage capacity and the ability to carry extra equipment to the scene of the emergency. We do not have the luxury of multiple engines responding on a call,” said Chief Al Hyser. “So we carry the majority of our equipment with us at all times.

“We have a full EMS cab as 70 percent of what we do is medically related. We need to carry all of our emergency medical equipment, so we took into consideration the ergonomic aspect and the space needed for the guys to reach the medical equipment and supplies. We had the storage area for the medical items built right in the cab. “We have compartments specifically for our technical rescue equipment – ropes and whatever we may need for high and low angle rescues and water rescue equipment. The engine is fully stocked. We have a dedicated extrication compartment with the latest in technology – battery powered Hurst E-Draulic equipment also referred to as the ‘Jaws of Life.’

ANNE EICKSTADT PHOTO Belvidere Daily Republican
The BFD followed fire service tradition and ‘pushed in’ the new engine to its new home.

“The engine also has a full Whelen LED Warning Light Package that includes a Roto Ray LED Warning Light on the front of the cab. This light package should eliminate one of the biggest previous complaints from the guys, which was, in an emergency response, you could barely see us coming down the road. That should not be the case anymore.

“It also sports a Knight Command scene lighting array with 90,000 lumens which has the capability of …

For complete article, pick up the April 15 Belvidere Daily Republican.

ANNE EICKSTADT PHOTO Belvidere Daily Republican
The new engine is safely housed in the State St. fire station having been successfully ‘pushed in’ by the firefighters, the chaplain, and Mayor Mike.

Mayor Mike congratulates Chief Hyser for a successful push-in.