Blackshear Fire Department took possession of its new firefighting truck April 15 and with the recent explosion of wildfires in the area it appears to have arrived in the nick of time.
The new unit is a Spencer Freightliner M2 206 crew cab with a Hale Qmax pump that can deliver 1,500 gallons per minute. Made in the U.S. and sourced from Brackett’s Fire Equipment of Rockmart, Blackshear Fire Chief Bucky Goble had previously requested the new fire engine last year and the Blackshear city council unanimously approved its purchase at its regular August meeting of that year.
The city’s then current 2000 Pierce Pumper fire engine was aging out of its useful life and deemed ready for replacement. Now, with the present nationwide shortage of available new fire engines and ongoing manufacturing delays leaving some fire departments having to do without or utilize aging equipment, the 2025 request and the council’s approval of the $579,000 expenditure now have the aura of foresight.
Goble extolled the virtues of the new fire engine.
“Our old truck had half compartments on the passenger side. This one has full compartments on both sides, so more storage, which is much needed. The ladders and suction hose are also stored out of the weather between the tanks,” said Goble. “It has a larger pump, delivering 1,500 gallons per minute and 1,000 gallon tank. This will give us increased capacity. It will also have a 200 foot hose laying in the front bumper for faster deployment.”
Financing the purchase of the new unit was done through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program. The USDA program was established to assist rural communities with low-interest loans and grants for the purchase of essential equipment, including fire trucks.
