The Burns Lake village council has earmarked $80,000 to pay for the new fire rescue truck.
At its July 23 meeting, council decided that the funds would be borrowed from the Municipal Finance Authority to help pay for the new vehicle that cost $348,182.28 in total.
Members of the local fire department held a traditional “push-in” ceremony to welcome the new truck after it was delivered from the factory in the United States in late June.
LOOK BACK: Pushing in the new fire truck
The 2019 budget authorized $350,000 for the new vehicle, with $270,000 being funded from the Fire Equipment Reserve and $80,000 from the Municipal Finance Authority equipment financing program.
Under the terms of the council resolution, about $1,420 will be paid monthly for the truck and the loan must be repaid within five years with no rights of renewal, a measure included in the 2019-2023 Financial Plan.
The 2019 Freightliner M2 4x4 was manufactured in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and is equipped with a 350-horsepower diesel motor and a 225-gallon water tank.
Rob Krause, Director of Protective Services first approached the manufacturer two years ago and because of backlogs at the Sioux Falls plant, it took 18 months from the awarding of the bid until its final completion.
The older truck which the Freightliner replaced will be turned into a wildland engine for fighting wildfires.
Blair McBride
Multimedia reporter
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