DELTA, Ohio — Safety services in the village of Delta just got a big upgrade. The Delta Community Fire Department got a 75-foot ladder truck, which Lt. Sean Smith proudly worked on, about two weeks ago.
"Having it is going to be a huge asset and it's going to be a lot of fun training with the guys on it," Smith said.
The truck is a first for the department, nearly 10 years in the making. Smith said it has all the bells and whistles and is the biggest the department could get.
He said he understands why some would question if the truck is necessary, though, and said without question it is.
"We've got growing industry, houses are getting bigger. It's going to help better us responding in the community," Smith said.
York Township Trustee Jeffrey Mazurowski said the nearly $1 million fire truck's new technology will help firefighters stay safe while battling blazes. Since safety is key for both those battling fires and those experiencing emergencies, a renewal levy for firefighting funding is on the ballot in November, too.
Mazurowski added the larger goal is to continue supporting area businesses and residents.
"With the industry we've had out west of town, it keeps growing. We need to keep up with technology and keep up the equipment to be able to fight fires out there and protect people out there," he said.
On average, the department gets around 1,000 calls a year, according to department data. Though they aren't all fire, each emergency call asks for all hands to be read with the necessary skills and equipment.
Mazurowski said the department for many years has skilled firefighters and EMS, and now has the tools, too.
Smith added that the ladder truck also relieves the stress and reliance on neighboring departments.
"If you've only got one asset available in the community, if they're already being utilized somewhere else, whether it be their own incident or on another, that's that much longer you have to wait. Then we're going to be going outside of our county," Smith said.
The ladder truck is ready for operation if needed, but Smith said it'll be closer to the end of September when it's fully functional.