WESTLOCK - In a tradition harkening back to the 19th century, the Town of Westlock’s new $1.3 million 2020 Rosenbauer Cobra Aerial Platform truck was pushed into the fire hall last Thursday night and officially entered service.
Town firefighters, their families as well past chief Lyle Birnie and a handful of town councillors and mayor Ralph Leriger not only attended, but participated in the April 1 push-in ceremony for the truck, which has been given the call sign ‘T1.’ Fire chief Stuart Koflick said the push-in ceremony dates back to the 1800s and the days of horse-drawn equipment, which couldn’t be backed into a station with a team attached.
With a firefighter behind the wheel for safety and to provide a little extra power as the truck easily tips the scales at more than 20 tons, people took turns at the bumper as the truck gingerly entered its new home. Features of ‘T1’, which rolled into town March 9, include a 500-gallon water tank, a fire pump with flow rates up to 1,250 gallons per minute and a ladder reach of 75 feet to 104-feet vertical.
Leriger, who jokingly said that for $1.3 million you’d think it would have come with a motor and wouldn’t have to be pushed in, said that the need for the truck became apparent at the Jan. 31 Commerce Building fire as Westlock actually borrowed Barrhead’s aerial truck. Council had agreed to the purchase back in 2019, but delivery was delayed due to the border between Canada and the U.S. being closed due to COVID-19.
“The Main Street fire … If anyone has any doubts about the need, I think that event illustrated it. Our little ladder truck in that weather and that cold, it wouldn’t have been safe to have someone up there. With this one you don’t even need a person up there as it can be aimed remotely. The technology is phenomenal,” said Leriger, noting the truck will be in service for at least the next 25 years.
“This is a big investment, but these are the important services. We’re really proud of our fire department. Over the past couple of years you’ve had a couple of great saves.”
Leading up to Thursday night, firefighters had been busy practicing on the truck and are now certified following 16 hours of classroom training. Koflick said they had planned to do the push-in Sunday afternoon, but following a day of hand-on practice and due to the forecast of high winds that night, they postponed it.
“I have to thank members of town council and ultimately the residents of the Town of Westlock for this beautiful piece of apparatus,” said Koflick, who in a past interview called the truck a ‘quint’ as it can perform five duties. “It’s certainly going to serve the community well for the next 25 years.”
