Cloverdale purchases new fire engines

(Left to right): Probationary Firefighter Larry Turin, Firefighter Student Rick Sniebel and Firefighter Jonn Thomas check out their new engine. Photo by Jaki Roberson

The first of two 1986 Seagrave engines rolled into the Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection (CRFPD) station on Wednesday, March 26. It was shipped by flatbed truck from Station 66 in Daytona Beach, Florida to Bend and then driven to Cloverdale by Fire Chief Chuck Cable.

The engines originated in Houston and were traded to Florida in 1999. New, the engines cost $225,000 apiece. The two Cloverdale engines were rebuilt and refurbished and cost $60,000. Cable expects to get another 25 years of service out of the engines.

"The new Allison transmission is more user friendly and an upgrade from the ten speed," said Firefighter Rick Sniebel, who accompanied Chief Cable in the transport from Bend.

"Everyone who has driven it has fallen in love with it," he said.

The main stipulation in the purchase was that the engines be identical in order to expedite training the volunteers.

CRFPD was able to obtain the new apparatus without added funding. With the current $1.09 taxing rate, they managed to save $25,000 a year toward their purchases.

With Cloverdale's water shuttle capability, the Insurance Service Office (ISO) issued Cloverdale a Class 6 rating, as opposed to Sisters' Class 8. The ratings determine homeowners' insurance premiums and fire department ratings. Chief Cable noted that the district has worked very hard to achieve its current Class 6.

The arrival of the Cloverdale engines could not have come at a more opportune time as another fire season approaches and growth in the area increases.

Each engine delivers 1,500 gallons a minute as opposed to the 1,100 pumped by the older engines. The four-man cabs with two jumpseats doubles the fire suppression capability available in a single engine.