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Show 'tr-r-ni " VMi - - t-i . ' ., 1? THE OLD and new of it all. Jensen City recently acquired a new firetruck which replaces an old six by six military truck as the primary source of attack. The old truck was converted to a firetruck, but did not function adequately to Jensen gets new firetruck Fire depeorvmenv is now 'ready flor anyflhing1 After three years of existence, the Jensen Fire Department is now ready for anything, according to Fire Chief Wayne Hollebeke. A new lime green firetruck rolled into Jensen on Tuesday, March 8 and turned into its new home at the Jensen Fire Station. Sta-tion. The 1983 Chevrolet truck, equipped with the latest in firefighting apparatus took its place beside the 1956 6x6 military truck which was converted for firefighting years ago. The new firetruck will replace the old military unit as the primary means of firefighting for the Jensen Department. The military truck will now act as water truck and backup to the new outfit. Hollebeke said the two units will compliment com-pliment each other, since the old truck hauls 1,250 gallons of water, and will greatly increase the capabilities of the new truck which carries 750 gallons. Another advantage of the old truck is its ability to go nearly anywhere. Since the Jensen Fire Department is the only department in the area committed to fight wildland fires, sometimes terrain can cause problems for a conventional truck. The new truck is capable of pumping 1,000 gallons a minute. Since hauling capacity is only 750 gallons, the truck is also capable of sucking water from any standing water source, such as a ditch, canal or pond. The truck is equipped with two pre-connected hoses 1.5 inches in diameter for immediate response once the vehicle has arrived at the site of a fire. In addition, there are four 2.5 inch diameter hoses which can be connected with minimal effort. All firefighting controls are located on a console directly back of the cab. This allows the controller to see everything that is going on, and direct action accordingly. accor-dingly. To use the truck efficiently only requires four firefighters, which is a plus to an area such as the Jensen unit. The Jensen Fire Department is comprised com-prised of 25 firefighters, but Hollebeke says only about half of them are really dedicated to the department. Since not all of those people are capable of responding respon-ding to any single fire, it is necessary for all present to be adequately trained to maximize efficiency. Hollebeke said prior to receiving the new firetruck, equipment was not adequate, but in most instances capable people made up the difference. Each member of the Jensen Fire Department has received 160 hours of training. All are working toward a Fire Science Degree through Utah Technical College at Provo. An instructor from that institution comes to Jensen four or five times a year to provide training. Each class is 40 to 60 hours in length. Besides technical training, the Jensen Fire Department also holds regular training and practice sessions in order to keep the firefighters as sharp as possible. possi-ble. These training sessions deal with meet the needs of the three-year-old department. depart-ment. The old truck will now act as. backup to the new unit and provide an additional water supply. live training where potential problems and problem solving techniques are emphasized. Funding for the new firetruck came from a federal grant. Total cost of the truck was $68,000. Hollebeke says the Jensen Fire Department, as all other fire departments, depart-ments, is committed to protect life and property. Not only will they respond to structural fires, but they will also respond res-pond to wildland fires and fires in areas quite distant from Jensen. These areas include Bonanza and the White River Shale Project areas. Hollebeke said even though a fire might not be threatening to Jensen specifically, he believes in protecting pro-tecting our environment wherever dangers exist. The Deseret Generation -Plant has donated a substantial amount of money to the Jensen Fire Department. With that money the Department has been able to purchase fire suits and other firefighting equipment. |