Assistant Fire Chief John Shaver stands next to the new fire engine that the Ohio River and Western Fire District recently purchased. T-L Photo/ KAYLA VAN DYNE

SHADYSIDE — A $600,000 addition to the Ohio River and Western Fire District’s fleet is expected to help firefighters better protect the public.

The 2020 model, state-of-the-art fire engine replaces a 1991 fire truck. According to OR&W Fire Chief Dave Lenz, a committee was formed two and a half years ago to come up with a plan to purchase this big-ticket item and replace the 30-year-old truck, was sold.

The committee “was able to finance this truck with no extra cost to the resident of this district,” Lenz said. “This is not costing anyone anything extra.

“Sometimes when you replace a piece of equipment like this, it’s so expensive, they will put on a levy. We didn’t want to have to do that, so we were able to make this purchase because of the fire board and our fiscal officer, Jeryl McGaffick. We were able to do the financing and put money down on this.”

The new addition — delivered a week ago today — is a Pierce custom fire truck.

“We put a lot of time and effort into specifying what we felt the needs of the district was going to be in the next 20 to 30 years,” Lenz said.

“But in anticipation of something happening here in the valley, we looked at a lot of features on this truck for that purpose, but (also) because of the people, protecting the public doing the best job that we can.”

Lenz was referring to anticipated industrial development in the area, including a potential ethane cracker plant that may be built in Mead Township at Dilles Bottom.

Some of the vehicle’s features include a bigger fire pump, air bags and foam, which was not a feature on the previous engine. Lenz also mentioned that another useful feature is the air-conditioned cab, which will be a nice spot to rehabilitate firefighters or anyone who may become overheated while battling a fire or responding to another emergency.

Lenz stressed that having newer equipment like this could help to lower the district’s fire insurance rating.

“When a piece of equipment reaches a certain amount of years, like a fire truck, your rating could go up. But adding a new truck and equipment may help to lower the fire rating,” Lenz said.

The OR&W was rated last year and received a score of 5 on a scale of 1-10. Insurance companies use those ratings to determine insurance costs for homeowners.

The OR&W Fire District, which was formed in 2012, covers 36 square miles including the village of Shadyside and Mead Township. It also gives and receives mutual aid.

“We receive over 1,000 calls a year now in the district, and being able to provide the best equipment for the people who work here and for the public as well” is important, Lenz said.