The department's previous engine had been used for the last 33 years
MCFARLAND -- Firefighters from the Tri Township Fire Department received a special gift this month: a brand new ride. Thanks to one of their own, who has been writing grants to FEMA for the last decade, their hopes were answered, and on Saturday, they had a chance to show off their new engine to the community.
The new fire truck is safer and better equipped than the last one.
"We were just astonished when we received it for a new vehicle," said Assistant Chief Wally Trudell. "We've written smaller grants for tools, equipment training stuff like that, but when we got this one for the truck, it was just unbelievable."
"It's a lot safer, and everything works so much better, especially in this cold weather. Freezing takes care of that, too," said firefighter Jerry Maki.
The department's previous engine had been used for the last 33 years. The grant paid for 90 percent of the truck's cost, roughly $200,000. The rest was paid by the department.
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