Newest addition to the Portage Fire District fleet

By Linda Hartigan

Those attending this year's Apple Festival Parade on Saturday will be able to view the newest fire truck owned by Portage Fire District. It is quite an impressive piece of equipment with some very important and helpful bells and whistles.

This pumper has a light tower that can light up the night with 6000 watts. The three sets of lights can be used together or separately and can swing to face in either direction. The generator powering the lights is built into the truck. Two additional 1000-watt lights are on either side of the truck cab. These can direct light closer to the truck.

The truck also has the generator for the Jaws of Life built in. Now one volunteer can connect the cutting equipment and unwind the power cable. Before two people were needed, one to run the motor while the other person operated the Jaws. This is helpful in our volunteer fire department that is sometimes short on personnel to answer calls.

The Sutphen model purchased will be used primarily as a rescue vehicle as most calls involve vehicular accidents. Ron Purk, one of the members of the Truck Committee, explained this will "lighten the load" on their main pumper which was used for both fire and rescue.

Portage Fire District paid cash for this $344,000 truck by setting money aside for the purchase for at least the last five years. Ron explained although the fire department takes great care of the equipment "there comes a time when we can no longer get parts". The district's oldest pumper is 25 years old.

This new pumper/rescue truck allows the Panel truck to be retired. The new #5 will be put into service as soon as the radio is installed and equipment is loaded.

This week may be the official Fire Prevention Week nationwide but Oak Harbor did a bit of revamping because it is also the week prior to Apple Festival. Next week volunteer firefighting members of the Portage Fire District will be visiting various kindergartens, area preschools and the MRDD class to discuss fire prevention, safety and learn more about the equipment worn by the firefighters.

This last item is because a fully dressed fire fighter is a bit foreign and scary looking to a young child. Ron Purk explained the volunteers would begin their talk wearing normal street clothes and add one pieces of equipment at a time. The Air pack is the last item put in place. They will talk to the class while wearing the breathing apparatus. This gives the children a chance to hear how the voice changes with the equipment.

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Three lucky poster contest winners also get to ride in the fire truck during Saturday's parade. They also will be picked up at home and driven to school in the fire truck on an arranged day.

In addition to the men and women who train and serve on the volunteer Portage Fire District department, there are their support teams more commonly called families. Most of us are familiar with the fundraising efforts of the Harborettes to purchase equipment, rescue tools and other needed items, but we may not know about the meals they prepare and serve at the station or the food and water they take to the scene for structure fires that can require hours to put out. Joyce Purk and Charlotte Striker shared some of their experiences as support team members. They also emphasized the importance of getting the children involved in learning about what to do in case of a fire.

In fact, this Sunday a Smoke House will be behind the fire station for anyone who wishes to experience first hand the advantage of getting down on the floor when smoke fills a room. The structure contains both upstairs and downstairs bedroom to simulate the situation at the person's home. I can tell you from experience with the fire department, smoke can quickly disorient someone.

The fire and rescue equipment will be on display during the station's Open House from 11-4 along with the Smoke House.