US. Representative Andy Harris came to Cambridge on Friday, November 21 to announce $750,000 in federal funding to secure a new fire engine for the community.
Fire Chief Brad Waters said that while the fire company staff and volunteers work diligently to keep the equipment in good condition, at some point, getting needed parts for older equipment becomes very hard to do. The standard life of a fire engine is approximately 20 years, and pre-COVID the Rescue Fire Company (RFC) had a schedule, replacing one of its trucks every five years.
Now off that replacement rotation, the oldest fire engine, purchased in 1992, has 33 years of service and in the last two years has cost over $150,000 in repairs.
The cost of the recently ordered engine, which is estimated to take 45 – 48 months to build and deliver, is $1.4 million. The funding Rep. Harris supplied goes a long way to helping RFC keep all four of its engine companies operational and ready to save lives.
Along with the funds, Rep. Harris presented RFC with a flag that was previously flown over the U.S. Capital and a Special Congressional Recognition certificate.
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