This week in Lyons, South Dakota, a brand new Rosenbauer fire engine is in some of the final stages of manufacturing. Later this month, Hillsdale Fire Chief Michael Rose will drive with two of his firemen to inspect the new engine and bring it to its new home at the Hillsdale Township Fire Station.
The new engine was a long time coming. About five years ago, the Fire Department went to the Township Board to get a millage for major equipment. When the measure was put on the ballot, the people of Hillsdale township voted three to one in favor of it.
Then, Chief Rose worked, first with a committee of four firefighters and then with input from the entire fire body, to come up with a plan for a new fire engine. They asked for bids from six companies, and of the four they received, the winning bid was the least expensive by $40,000.
After about two years of planning, they presented the plan to the Hillsdale Township Board, which approved it unanimously and saved the township an additional $12,000 by pre-paying for the engine, which ended up costing $365,000.
“It was a unanimous vote to support the purchase of the fire engine,” said Hillsdale Township Clerk and Board member Janel Stewart. “I think it’ll be a great asset to the community.”
“I know the Fire Department’s real excited to get the engine, and they work really hard to use their funds wisely,” she continued. “They’ve done what they can with the equipment that they’ve had and repairing and making that work over the years, but it just became time to get a new one, and so it’ll be exciting to see them have a new piece of equipment to be able to use.”
Rick Emery, a Trustee on the Township Board, also supported the purchase. “We had a special millage for this fire truck from the taxpayers, and we needed it, because ours was getting old,” he said. “We’re excited to see it.”
Last February, The Fire Department placed the order for the new fire engine, which is on schedule to be completed later this month.
The new truck will replace a 1980s model they purchased from Allen Township. Chief Rose explained a major benefit of the new engine: “When we pull out of the station with that truck, we’re gonna have 2,100 gallons of water on that truck, and when you’ve got a working structure fire, that truck is being capable of pumping 1,500 gallons of water a minute. Before that, you know, I pulled out with a thousand gallons of water.
“We have tankers, but it takes manpower and time to get them to the scene and get them set up, so now if we get to a fire, we’ve got 2,100 gallons to work with, which gives us time to get that next truck there with water, to get a portable tank set up, to get the manpower there, so that’s gonna be a big benefit.”
Last year, the people of Hillsdale Township voted, again three to one, to renew the millage for the Fire Department. “I just want to really highlight, thank you to the residents of Hillsdale Township for continuing the millage,” Chief Rose said, “because without them, and them voting on it, it would not be possible.”
