Fire District 3 aspires to be "the best rural fire district in America," and within the last year, the fire district has taken several steps to achieve its vision, including the purchase of new equipment and the reinstatement of its fire risk specialist program.
After balancing its budget last year, the fire district added a new 3,000-gallon water tender to its apparatus at a cost of $334,211. Later this year, it will also purchase a ladder truck and replace its self-contained breathing apparatuses.
Fire Chief Scott Sorenson said that the typical lifespan of most vehicles used by fire departments is 25 years, although the water tender that Fire District 3 had just replaced had been in use since 1972. (It was one of two tenders that the fire district had; the other was built in 2012.)
"Over the years, we've updated it and did some things to make it last," Sorenson said.