Fire chiefs from Warrenton and Wright City say their departments are better equipped to handle whatever calls come their way with the addition of new fire trucks.

Both fire departments are benefiting from acquiring a 2009 Rosenbauer pumper fire truck earlier this year. Wright City’s truck cost in the neighborhood of $500,000, while Warrenton spent approximately $420,000.

The main difference between the two trucks is the different features that were added. Both were built in South Dakota.

The new truck marked the first since 2006 that the Wright City Fire Protection District purchased a new vehicle. The last pumper truck was bought in 2001.

“It upgraded our fleet,” Wright City Fire Chief Ron MacKnight said. “The guys built the truck to what we needed.”

Wright City’s new truck replaces a 1998 Precision pumper, which had been assigned to Station 3. One of the trucks formerly housed at Station 3 has now been moved to Station 2.

“Trucks that are worn down don’t help anybody,” MacKnight said. “This truck will serve the community for a long time.”

Warrenton, meanwhile, hadn’t bought a new pumper truck since 2004. Fire Chief Mike Owenby said his department had been experiencing issues with the truck it’s replacing, a 1980 Commercial Tow Cab. The old truck needed to be serviced frequently and then replaced by an even older model. 

The older truck will be kept as a backup.

“If I’m putting a 30-year-old truck in place, the reliability may not be there,” he explained. “I’m at least not as comfortable as I should be.”

Owenby noted that the new truck was built to be a fire truck.

“There was certain criteria that had to be met,” he said.

Both trucks feature a light tower and improved warning light package that should be more noticeable when responding to calls or being stationed on area highways. Also, the truck can carry more personnel and equipment, such as hoses and water rescue apparatus.

Owenby said the new truck will pump 1,500 gallons of water in a minute, compared to 1,000 gallons from the older model.