New IL Fire Dept. Trucks Have 'Guardian Angel' During Assembly

Oct. 6--Coming from a Wisconsin-based company, Jacksonville Fire Department's two new trucks already have a connection to Jacksonville before they enter the city limits.

Jacksonville native Scott Mumford, a service technician for Pierce Manufacturing in Wisconsin, already has had his hands on the truck, connecting them with Jacksonville before they even left the factory.

Jacksonville Fire Department has ordered two new trucks that will be delivered later this month.

"I told my boss I wanted them to come down my line," Mumford said. "I've watched them all the way through the process."

Getting to oversee the project was exciting, said Mumford, who recently was promoted. Aside from the frame, Mumford and his team built the trucks from the ground up, adding all the specifications and graphics requested by the department.

It was a process that took the team seven weeks to complete.

"I took a lot of photos and sent them to Doug (Sills) throughout the process," Mumford said.

Chief Doug Sills and other members of the department traveled to Wisconsin this week to see the trucks and, aside from some last-minute graphic additions, have deemed them ready to go.

"We did the final inspection and there were no faults noted, which is really rare," Sills said. "There were just a few minor changes that have to be made." Mumford said he was excited for Sills and the others to see the trucks when they visited.

"It's one thing to see them on paper," Mumford said. "When they see them in real life, they can actually see them and any changes that need to be made." Sills said he could tell Mumford paid a lot of attention to detail for the trucks.

"Scott is a hometown boy and he took an interest and pride in them," Sills said. "He was our guardian angel and made sure everything was done correctly." Getting to work on trucks going to his hometown was a privilege, Mumford said. "These are special trucks for sure," he said. "I treat every truck special because it could save someone's life, but these are going to help someone I know. My family still lives in Jacksonville, so these may save their lives one day."

Though he moved away in 2000, Mumford said he still is a part of Jacksonville.

"Even though I moved away, I still want to give back to my community," he said.

The trucks will be picked up in Peoria on Oct. 16 before being revealed to the public at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 17, Sills said.

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