Fire department will soon have a quint in arsenal

Columbia Falls will soon have a “new” fire truck in its arsenal. The city council Monday night approved the purchase of a $115,000 quint from New England Fire Equipment in Connecticut.

The Columbia Falls fire department flew an inspector to look at the 2002 truck and the company has agreed to do several upgrades to the rig before they drive it out to Montana. The department has agreed to split the $3,500 cost of new rear tires before it ships. The truck is in good shape and is far less expensive than a new one. New quint trucks cost about $700,000, fire chief Rick Hagen noted.

A quint is a fire truck with five separate functions — most notably a 105-foot ladder. The department needs the truck as more buildings in the district are taller, including several apartment buildings in the city.

Fully outfitted and shipped, the truck will cost the department about $140,000.

The city’s cost is about $56,571. The rural district picks up the remaining cost as the department splits capital expenses based on the number of calls and service per year across the Columbia Falls Fire district.

The city will borrow funds from its Cedar Creek Trust Fund to pay for the rig.