News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Dekalb County is looking to add a second water tanker to the fire department.
Dekalb County Fire Chief Donny Green said the department currently has to bring its own water when responding to fires. Green said a limited water supply is one of the issues he hopes this second tanker will address.
“Being rural, we have a very limited water supply in the county due to infrastructure with the size of water lines and lack of hydrant availability,” Green said. “We have to carry our water to the fire scene with us using tankers and we only have one in the whole county right now.”
However, Green said it might take up to a year to have a 2,500 gallon tanker built, due to the pandemic. Green said having a tanker built usually takes six to eight months.
The bidding is set to be opened December 16.
“There’s some issues with getting materials… Steel and aluminum, and then the issues of staffing at the manufacturing plants,” Green said. “They’re impacted also by the employees that are quarantined.”
Despite the wait, Green said he expects this to be a big addition to the fire department. Which he said will be stationed in the middle of Dekalb County, as they respond to over 264 square miles.
“It will be headquartered in the central station here in Dekalb County,” Green said. “Which is right in the middle of our jurisdiction and it would respond all over the county.”
He said the $345,000 grant to pay for the tanker was based on an estimated cost for building the tanker. He said these tankers have to be built to the specifications the fire department needs.
