Community helps New Phila FD celebrate new ladder truck’s arrival
NEW PHILADELPHIA (WJER) (April 24, 2023) – City officials are expressing their gratitude to everyone who made it possible for the fire department to get its new ladder truck.
The city held a ceremony Saturday where residents got to push the $1.8-million Pierce ladder truck into the station, which is an old tradition for fire departments. Fire Chief Jim Parrish thanked the residents, along with Mayor Joel Day, his administration, city council members, and others.
“A lot of people did a lot of work to make this all work out. It wasn’t something we expected to do a year after we bought a new engine but we were having so many problems with our other one that we decided to step forward.”
Day says the purchase of the truck was financed locally with a 20-year loan from First Federal Community Bank.
“That assures that our tax dollars being spent to pay for this vehicle, those tax dollars will stay right here in this community and that’s important. I want to thank First Federal for its willingness to make that financial commitment”
Parrish says the truck replaces the department’s 1987 ladder truck that got refurbished in 2009 and was frequently out of service for repairs. It was sold to a fire department in Kansas.