Ghent Fire Department builds tanker truck
Project cut neary $200,000 from cost of vehicle
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GHENT -- Fire Chief Bill Maertens and his crew of 23 volunteer firefighters at the Ghent Fire Department saved nearly $200,000 by opting to research, buy parts, weld and paint the department’s new tanker truck.
Maertens said he's been looking for an opportunity to work on a project like this for a long time. He's done many repairs to the department’s trucks. But the need for a new tanker truck gave him the opportunity to make something from scratch. According to Maertens, the new tanker can transport 2,250 gallons of water out to locations without a pump, which is double that of Ghent’s old tanker built in 1976.
There’s a reason the department built their tanker from the ground up. After looking into the price of a new tanker truck, Maertens found it would have cost the department $350,000. The fire department’s yearly budget is around $55,000.
"The fire trucks cost more than the city’s annual budget," Maertens said. "There’s no way they could fund that.”
To save some money, the Ghent Fire Department figured building it themselves would be the best option. Getting all the parts, a fresh paint job and decals cost about $160,000. The project saved the department $190,000.
According to Maertens, Ghent is the first department in the area to build their own truck. He said many departments have been inspired to buy parts and make their own equipment.
"I’ve already gotten calls from other departments asking me for help," Maertens said. "Where to go to get this or that part. I’ve been happy to put them in the right direction."
Building the new tanker was in many ways a team effort. According to Maertens, many locals and businesses helped with aspects of the tanker. John Comstock from Action Graphics helped with the decal work and Tim Anderson, a Marshall firefighter who works for Marshall Municipal Utilities, helped out with the lights and sirens.
Maertens says none of it would have been possible without the support from the community. A fundraiser is held every March for the department, with most of the funds directed toward building the new truck.
“We actually have something that we can show," Maertens said. "'Hey, this is what your guys' donations go to,' and this is what we're doing to try and help you guys and to try to keep our tax rates as cheap as we can in our area.”