FALLS CITY – The Falls City Volunteer Fire Department has scheduled an open house to introduce the public to its new ladder truck.
The truck will be on display from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 12.
The City of Burlington, Vermont, sold the truck to Falls City with councilmen Lucas Froeschl and Mitch Merz leading negotiations, along with Fire Chief Matt Beer and Asst. Chief Jon McQueen.
Dennis Becker of Becker Trucking in Seneca, Kan., hauled the 48-foot, twin axle truck with a gross weight rating of 81,500 to Falls City on Jan. 12.
It is a 2003, Custom E-One Cyclone II with a 95-foot mid-mount platform and had been purchased new by Burlington for $800,000. Falls City had hosted a demonstration truck in 2018, which had a price tag of over $900,000.
McQueen said the fire department could not spend that much money on equipment, when it also needs to replace air packs and the fire station’s breathing air compressor.
He said the truck offered by Burlington was a great solution. Falls City paid $59,000.
It replaces a 1981 Smeal 65’ ladder truck.
The fire department is planning to continue the Burlington Fire Department tradition and call the truck “Tower 1.”
