New Cloverdale fire engines arrive

Christmas in July has come for the firefighters of the Cloverdale Fire District.

After an election two years ago in which the voters of the fire district authorized the purchase of two new fire engines to provide more reliable protection for the constituents and improved safety for the firefighters, the first of two new engines arrived on Tuesday, July 5.

Firefighters, under the guidance of Fire Chief Thad Olsen, put the new pumper through its paces, spending 12-1/2 hours last Wednesday performing acceptance testing on the truck. The truck passed with flying colors.

Firefighters will spend the next couple of weeks training on the new engine, having radio equipment installed, and loading hose and other equipment onto the truck. Once the firefighters are trained up and the truck is completely outfitted it will be placed into service for the people of the community.

Chief Thad Olsen said that this marks a milestone for the department. It is the first time that the district has purchased two brand-new, identical pumpers. Having two identical trucks eases the training requirements for the volunteers, and lessens the chance of confusion during an emergency. These two should give many years of service.

In other news, the volunteers staffed a booth in front of Melvin's Fir Street Market on Saturday during the quilt show. This year Judy Phelps of Scappoose, Oregon, the grandmother of firefighter Zach Gogenola, donated a quilt for the firefighters to raffle off as a fundraiser. The firefighters raised over $2,400 for their association during this event. The volunteers use this money to purchase equipment needed by the fire district. Association President Kyle Wattenburg said that the volunteers appreciate all of the help from the local community. The firefighters thanked Melvin Herburger for allowing them space in front of his store each year during this event.

The winner of this year's quilt, Sandy Davis of Vacaville, CA, took delivery immediately after the quilt show. She said that she has been coming to Sisters with her sister and friends for 17 years. She was delighted to receive such a wonderful piece of art to display.