West Fargo Fire Department rolls out new, grant funded fire pumper and rescue unit

(West Fargo, ND) -- The West Fargo Fire Department is launching a new pumper and rescue unit to serve the community.

The all-hazards pumper carries tools, a full complement of National Fire Protection Association recommended hoses and a 750-gallon water tank to pump water on scenes of fires. The rescue unit is utilized for fire scene rehabilitation, air tank refills, heavy rescue, water rescue and hazmat operations.

“The addition of this new pumper and rescue unit helps the department meet the NFPA recommendations to replace equipment,” said Dan Fuller, West Fargo Fire Department Chief in a statement released to WDAY Radio. “This equipment will not only help keep our community safe, but also keeps our firefighters safe from cancer.”

The new pumper replaces an engine with 14 years of service. The new rescue unit replaces a unit with 20 years of service. The NFPA recommends that equipment this old is replaced with vehicles that have interior surface materials that can be decontaminated of carcinogens. Mitigating exposure to carcinogens is important because according to the Centers for Disease Control cancer is a leading cause of death among firefighters.

Fifty percent of the equipment cost is receiving funding through a North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality grant. The goal of the grant is to replace older diesel vehicles with new, cleaner diesel vehicles. The grant money is a result of a settlement between the U.S. Department of Justice and Volkswagen over the company’s misrepresentation of diesel emissions for their products. Capital improvement sales tax will fund the remaining cost of the vehicles.