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AHOSKIE – The Ahoskie Rural Volunteer Fire Department has added to its fleet of service vehicles with the purchase of new fire engine.

“Patrick Dilday, our former chief, put in a lot of hard work and put in a lot of hours into the paperwork and legwork it took to secure a $200,000 grant from the USDA Rural Development. That work made it very affordable for us to purchase this new truck,” said Jerry Castelloe, chair of the Ahoskie Rural Fire District’s Board of Directors.

“It’s a top of the line truck,” Castelloe continued. “We see it as a win-win all the way around. We have a truck of this high standard that helps our department maintain or lower its ISO rating with the state, which helps lower homeowner insurance premiums for the property owners within our fire district while providing our firemen with latest technology in firefighting, which makes them safer when answering a call.”

Ahoskie Rural Fire Chief Thomas Ward said the new E-One engine replaces a 2009 truck.

“It’s bigger and better than the one we were using, we love it,” Ward noted. “It has a bigger pump, which gives us more water pressure to work with while on the scene of a fire. It also has a lot more room to store equipment, plus there’s a compartment where we’re able to recharge the batteries used by some of our tools.

“We are really appreciative of our board of directors for their focus on wanting to keep us up to date with all the latest equipment,” Ward added.

Doug Brinkley, a member of the Ahoskie Rural Fire District’s board of directors, said the new vehicle is “state of the art” and one that the department’s volunteer firefighters provided valuable input on what type of vehicle would best serve the needs of Ahoskie Rural VFD.

“We are happy that this engine will serve the citizens of the Rural District for many years to come,” Brinkley stated. “The Rural Board is very proud to have been a part of this momentous occasion and we appreciate the volunteer firefighters working hard each and everyday to continue to protect life and property in the district.

“We also appreciate USDA Rural Development who provided us with grant and loan financing for the purchase of this engine,” Brinkley added. “USDA Rural Development helped make this dream a reality. I want to also thank the Rural Board and firefighters for all they do for the Rural Fire District. I am so glad to see this engine in service as the first out engine to protect our citizens.”