Rural Maine Firefighters Learning About New Engine

CARTHAGE — The 2000 Freightliner pumper fire truck purchased by Carthage for $95,500 is a dream come true for volunteer members of the small, rural department.

The fact that it's also user-friendly is a big plus.

"It's absolutely wonderful" to have this firetruck, Assistant Chief Larry Blodgett said Tuesday morning while familiarizing himself with its features. "It gives me a lot of confidence that we can do a much better job than what we have done in the past," he said.

The new truck is a push-button automatic, meaning that to start it, one simply presses a drive button and the engine rumbles to life. There's also a button for reverse and one for neutral.

Even if someone doesn't know how to operate the truck's water pump or deck nozzle, the push-button automatic means they can at least drive it to a fire scene where other firefighters can then operate it, Blodgett said. A Carthage firefighter since the mid 1960s, Blodgett, 66, said it's not an intimidating truck.

It does take some time to learn how to operate it. Last month, a crew drove the truck to Carthage from Pennsylvania. Blodgett backed it into the station and that was his only experience operating it other than continuing to read the owner's manual.

On Thursday, Carthage firefighters were called to Ted and Wanda Flagg's house at 130 Judkins Road for a structure fire. Blodgett, who lives directly across from the fire station, took the new pumper out and headed for the fire without running the siren, because he didn't know where the switch was.

"I was driving it to the fire and I didn't want to take my eyes off the road to find the siren switch," Blodgett said. "I was unfamiliar with the truck."

So he spent some time Tuesday morning familiarizing himself with it. Climbing into the cab, he flipped what's called a "deadman's switch," which lit interior lamps and brought everything electronic to life.

"The second thing you do is fasten your seat belt, and then, 'Where's the siren?'" he asked, while looking all along the dashboard and recreating Thursday's first drive. "It's got to be around here somewhere. There's an air horn right here on the floor and there are twin air horns built into the bumper. That's a lot of noise."

Then, pointing to the overhead console, Blodgett said the siren is there between the radio and a bank of buttons that operate the flashing lights.

Blodgett said they bought the truck as an investment, believing it will last 20 to 25 years before it needs to be replaced.

Carthage also has a 1999 Ford tanker, and a 1973 Ford engine truck they've temporarily loaned to Weld to replace Weld's tanker that broke down at Thursday's Carthage fire.

"No matter what it is, we respond with what we've got," Blodgett said.

"And now that we have something that we can be proud of," he said, pointing to the new pumper idling just outside the fire station, "I think we can do more."

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