CONGER -&160;Last Thursday was a day of pride for the Conger Volunteer Fire Department.

Monday, February 04, 2002

CONGER -&160;Last Thursday was a day of pride for the Conger Volunteer Fire Department. A new truck was delivered and put into service, replacing two older vehicles.

The truck cost the department nearly $150,000. It is already paid for, though, thanks to the many years of saving and fundraising they had undertaken, said Jeremy Johnson, department fire chief.

&uot;It’s been a long time coming and I am proud of the fact that it’s paid for,&uot; he said.

Some things about the truck are different than what they had before.

&uot;It does some things we couldn’t do before. It pumps more water for one. We’re looking into the possibility of getting a deck gun for it, and we have a list of other things that we still need, like new radios,&uot; Johnson said.

The new truck is a 30 foot-long pumper/tanker with an 1,800 gallon tank that pumps up to 1,200 gallons of water per minute.

The vehicle includes compartments where the department’s air tanks can be stored on special quick-release racks and then quickly deployed when needed.

&uot;It is a lot handier than it used to be,&uot; said Johnson.

Fire fighters with the department are getting some training from the manufacturer on how to use the updated equipment on the truck, but they’re also using their monthly meetings to learn about the new systems.

The Conger Volunteer Fire Department is responsible for 55 square miles of Freeborn County, with Conger the only community located in the fire district. The department has 19 fire fighters on its membership rolls, with two more set to join next month.