T-L Photos/JENNIFER COMPSTON-STROUGH Belmont Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Chief Jake Tacosik, from left, takes a break with Lt. Kaye Hall and Chief Bob Mills after Tacosik and Mills washed the VFD’s brand new Pierce Saber fire engine on Thursday. The truck replaces a 1992 Sutphen engine that was sold to the Waterloo Fire Department in Athens County.

BELMONT — Jake Tacosik was just a little guy — 6 years old — the day that his dad and uncle helped pick up a new fire engine for the village of Belmont on June 8, 1992. Today, he is a much bigger guy — and he played a big role in helping the Belmont Volunteer Fire Department design and obtain its newest engine, which arrived in town last week.

The VFD purchased a 2021 model Pierce Saber truck with a six-man cab and a 1,500-gallon per minute pump for $536,000. After it was outfitted with the department’s symbols, logos and gear, including customized storage compartments, the total price tag ended up somewhere between $550,000 and $560,000, according to Chief Bob Mills.

He said Tacosik, who serves as assistant chief, and member Koel Davia gave him the specs for the “dream truck,” and he scaled things back from there to a level the village could afford. In the end, the engine came equipped with air conditioning, which seems like a luxury after 30 years of operating a truck that didn’t have that amenity; a “trash line,” or a shorter hose for car fires and similar incidents, above the front bumper; the ability to connect some controls to smartphones; and a small refrigerator for drinking water.

In terms of firefighting capacity, the new Engine 17 has an auto-injection system that can mix any of the three chemical foams on board with the water stream to smother different types of fires, such as those on gas and oil pads or in other hazardous materials situations. It also carries a chimney fire kit, up to 730 gallons of water and 20 gallons of foam.

Other tools and equipment found on the truck include plenty of cribbing for support during rescue operations, numerous electric hand tools with interchangeable batteries, a gas-powered generator for “over the hill” operations, cutter and spreaders for auto extrication. A rope rescue kit, air bottles for breathing apparatus and special materials such as tarps, barriers and absorbent materials to help contain and soak up spills.

Mills and Lt. Kaye Hall explained that although the old 1992 Sutphen truck had only traveled about 28,000 miles, it no longer met National Fire Protection Association standards. That vehicle has been sold to the Waterloo Fire Department in New Marshfield, Athens County, Ohio. Mills said it will be used there as a rescue truck, not as a primary fire engine.

Mills said the VFD worked with Ben Heslop of Shadyside, a Pierce representative, to obtain the truck. Because the vehicle the department really wanted was too big to fit inside its firehouse, Heslop helped to ensure a quick turnaround on the vehicle they settled on.

Mills said Pierce provides the trucks for the Daytona International Speedway fire brigade, but those trucks usually only remain in service at the track for about three months each. They are then outfitted for departments across the country. To expedite delivery to Belmont, Mills said Pierce pulled a truck off its Daytona line and set it up for delivery to the village. As a result, the community received its truck about three months after making a final decision; by contrast, Mills said many departments wait at least eight months for a new engine, with some waiting as long as two years.

In addition, he said the expedited delivery headed off a pair of anticipated price increases, probably saving taxpayers $25,000 to $30,000.

As for Tacosik’s history with the department, he said he started hanging out at the firehouse with his dad, John, and uncle, Ed Tacosik when he was about 5 years old. He served first as a fire cadet and then as a firefighter when he became old enough. Already, he has 18 years of service under his belt, and said his dad and uncle both previously served as department chiefs.

Davia’s record with the department may not be quite as long, but it is important as well. Both men graduated from Union Local High School about a year apart, and both have long tenure with the VFD. Davia has been a UL school board member, and he serves the department as an EMT.

In addition to the Tacosik brothers, a photo shows several other members of the department who picked up the Sutphen engine back in 1992. They include Mark Anderson, Bob Lewis, Bryan Ncholes and “Tiny” Cooper.

Current members chose to honor Lewis and another longtime VFD member, Gary Schmitt, both of whom have died, with a memorial plate on the side of the new truck.

It states: “Dedicated to and in memory of Gary ‘Gar’ Schmitt and Robert “Bob” Lewis along with all past members lost. MAY THEY WATCH OVER US.”

And there are many members who have served the department over the years. A new logo emblazoned on the Pierce engine reminds the public that the department was established in 1889 – that was 133 years ago.

Despite its long history, though, Jake Tacosik worries about the department’s future. He said volunteers are very hard to come by. And at almost 36 years old, he was the department’s youngest active member until very recently.

Anyone who is interested in volunteering to serve with the Belmont VFD can call the station at 740-484-1154.