Weathersfield OKs sale of firetruck to MCCTC

By Mary Smith

Weathersfield firefighters spent $5,000 on rope rescue equipment.

MINERAL RIDGE — Weathersfield Township trustees approved the sale of a firetruck for $1 to the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center in Canfield.

Although the truck is still in service as backup for the Weathersfield Township Fire Department, Chief Randy Pugh said a new truck purchased by the township and received in October will be put into service sometime next month. Final installation of equipment on the new $410,000 truck, is still under way.

Pugh noted the reason the old fire truck is being donated to MCCTC is that Ridge firefighters do most of their training in Mahoning County, working with Austintown Fire Chief Andy Frost. Firefighters take courses at the vocational school, but it does not have a firetruck.

Trustees also learned that the McKinley Heights Mutual Benefits Association of firefighters has spent $5,000 to buy new rope rescue equipment and will invest another $1,300 into training for two firefighters in rope rescue at Bowling Green University in May.

The training will make Lt. Andrew Bickerstaff and Firefighter Seth Durig, who is also a firefighter at the Air Force Reserve base in Vienna, rope rescue technicians.

The equipment purchased included four, 200-foot ropes, a mechanical advantage system (a pulley system to bring victims out of holes and up to even grade), four harnesses and rigging and anchoring equipment.

Bickerstaff explained the purchase was made to expand the entire department’s rescue abilities.

Now the township has to call other agencies if a rope rescue is needed, but the purchase and added training for two men will allow the department to make their own rope rescues, or call in outside agencies, at Pugh’s discretion.