Western Taney Fire celebrates new engine

The Western Taney County Fire Protection District has a new truck to help fight fires and save lives and welcomed the unit with a special "push in" ceremony at Station 2 in Merriam Woods on Saturday June 3.

Fire Chief Chris Berndt told the Branson Tri-Lakes News the ceremony calls back to the earliest days of firefighting and allows the district to salute the history of their craft.

Firefighters and members of the public giving a ceremonial "push in" to the new engine.

"It started in the 1800s when we had horse-driven fire equipment," Berndt said. "When crews would come back from a fire, whether a steam engine or hose wagon, you can't back up into the station with the horses. The crews would always have to unhook the horses and push them in. In many ways, it was a big deal, because you were finished with the call and it was over."

Berndt said the new engine will replace an engine which was in significant need of replacement. Unlike regular engines it is also a rescue engine, meaning it was built to have space for not only firefighting equipment, but also rescue equipment. This engine will be able to assist on car accidents calls or provide gear for rescue operations involving hillsides and other difficult terrain.

The new engine for WTCFPD has a rear hookup for an auxiliary water tank, allowing them to avoid blocking an additional lane of traffic when working a roadside incident.

One of the features of the $650,000 unit is a rear-mounted pump, which will allow a portable water tank to be lined up behind the unit, blocking only one traffic lane, while previous engines would need the tank on the side of the engine, blocking the full roadway.

Areas like Merriam Woods have very few fire hydrants, which make it vital for engines to have auxiliary water tanks available for their engines.

Station 2 is the third-busiest station of the district's 12 stations, with more than 450 calls last year, including many calls to back up other stations.

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