JONES COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT
The capacity of Jones County’s newest fire truck makes it a game changer, especially for fighting fires in rural areas of the county.
Deputy Fire Chief Thomas Coleman said the county received the new truck last month. He explained the county’s other fire engines hold 1,000 gallons of water, and the new truck has a 3,000-gallon capacity.
“If it’s the first or second truck on scene, it can make a big difference in controlling the fire,” he said.
Coleman said the truck is designed to be used where there is no water supply available. He added that, because of the increased capacity of the truck, less personnel are needed to haul water. That means more firefighters are available at the scene.
He said the plan is for it to respond to all fires, with an emphasis on rural parts of the county.
The truck will be housed at Jones County Station 12, which is the location of the county pumper truck in the City of Gray.
Coleman said firefighters who drive the fire trucks had to participate in a driving course because of the increased size of the vehicle. He said the new truck is at least 10 feet longer than the county’s other fire engines and weighs 20,000 to 25,000 pounds more.
He said the top speed of the truck is 60 mph, and it has tandem axles for added stability.
Jones County Fire Chief Don Graham explained that the chassis is a Kenworth cab with a Fouts Brothers body. He said it is a commercial grade price and build, which means it’s more affordable.
Graham said it was built in Milledgeville and is called a Fouts Brothers Pumper Tanker.
The truck was received six months past the anticipated delivery date. Coleman said that was due to a wait for the Kenworth chassis. The price tag for the new vehicle was $360,000.
“We would like to have four more just like it,” he said.
