Firefighters in Torrington have a new piece of equipment in their arsenal to fight structure fires in and around the community.
The Torrington Fire Department recently took delivery on a new Tower truck, and during the past week city and rural department staff have been training on how to operate the new apparatus.
Torrington Fire Chief Lance Petsch tells KNEB News the $1.4 million piece of equipment will allow firefighters to attack fires from above and provide an additional level of safety. “Anytime we’re getting up and working on a roof for anything, this allows us to put it up, use the basket, step right off, step back on. We’re not climbing the ladders (from the ground), we’re not spending as much time on the roof, hopefully, so it will provide a little better safety for the firefighters,” said Petsch. “Then additionally, it will allow us to get up above and put water in from the top, and cool it (the fire) off some.”
Petsch says it took a little over a year for the truck to arrive once it was ordered late in 2020, and if ordered now would take about two years to receive.
A grant from the State of Wyoming, along with funding from the City of Torrington and the Rural Fire District paid for the new tower.
