Ionia gets state help to pay for fire truck

WEST BLOOMFIELD -- The Ionia Volunteer Fire Co. has been using its new-ish fire truck for some time now.

But now the volunteer company has extra help in paying for it.

Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb, R-Canandaigua, on Thursday presented a ceremonial check for $200,000 to the fire department for the $313,000 truck.

Kolb said discussions about providing state funding arose a few years after the volunteer company's firehouse was destroyed by fire in July 2015. Over time, the decision was made to use the money for a different purpose but it is still a long-term investment in the safety of the West Bloomfield community, he said.

"A little good came out of everything," Kolb said. "Hopefully, this will serve the community for another few decades. This is a great use of taxpayer funds to help small, rural communities."

The 2016 fire truck replaces a model built in 1986.

The new truck has the capacity for 1,500 gallons of water and a 1,250-gallon-a-minute pump, Ionia Fire Chief Lynn Parrish said.

The Class A-rated pumper truck, which also came with a 2,100-gallon portable pond, five air packs and 1,600 feet of supply hose, also can carry five people, Parrish said.

The former truck carried two, and the riders would have to wait for other first responders to come separately. The new truck already has enabled full crews to arrive at scenes quickly, Parrish said.

"It's been a godsend," Parrish said.

The truck is a step toward modernizing operations at the volunteer company, which saw its new firehouse open last year.

"They're a great asset to West Bloomfield," said West Bloomfield Councilman Bill Travis.

The old fire truck has a new home.

A small, rural fire department in Arkansas purchased it and drove it away, along with some surplus equipment, which they appreciated, Parrish said. The firefighters down south have even sent photos of it in action at emergency scenes.

"It is being used," Parrish said.

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