EVANS CITY — The volunteer fire department will bump up its capabilities in the borough and Forward Township with the purchase of a new pumper/tanker fire truck.

Fire Chief Mark Adomaitis told the council at its meeting Oct. 6 that he has signed an agreement with Pierce Manufacturing to buy the new truck for $505,000.

He said the water tank in the 1996 pumper/tanker truck the department is selling holds 500 gallons, while the new truck holds 750 gallons. Adomaitis explained that the new pumper allows fire fighters to use water only, foam only, or a mix of the two.

Known as a compressed-air foam system, or CAFS, the foam or foam mixed with water allows a quicker knockdown of a structural fire and uses less water, Adomaitis said.

“Water hits wood and ricochets,” Adomaitis said. “The foam hits the wood and the tiny bubbles penetrate the wood and expand.”

He said the CAFS system prevents rekindling and uses much less water than the traditional method of fighting fires.

He also said the foam is lighter, and requires fewer firefighters to man a hose.

Adomaitis said the new truck also will allow fire ighters to use less water from the borough’s hydrants, many of which have water lines that are too small to keep up with firefighters’ needs.

He said the borough is steadily replacing the lines with larger versions, but if a commercial or multi-structure fire hits the borough, firefighters would currently be forced to draw water from Breakneck Creek.

With the new CAS system, the department could likely fight any fire using hydrants and the new truck only instead of bringing additional tankers to the scene to provide water or drawing water from the creek.

Adomaitis said in addition to the department’s faithful donors, the borough forwards 1 mill in taxes to the department. That works out to about $10,000 per year.

The council also donates $2,500 per year to the fire department. Adomaitis said Forward Township, which is also covered by the Evans City Volunteer Fire Department, matches those amounts.

He said the Pierce should arrive in the borough in June.

Adomaitis told the council that the vehicle insurance payment for the fire department, which is paid by the borough, will likely increase because of the new truck. He said the insurance agent could not give an estimate until he sees the vehicle.

“But it’s probably going to go up by $500 to $1,000 (per year),” Adomaitis said.

He said the 1996 pumper’s insurance costs $1,700 annually for $500,000 in insurance coverage. The rate is the same on a 1990 pumper that the department will keep.

Councilman Paul Foster asked Adomaitis how long the new pumper is expected to last.

“I’d like to say 20 years,” Adomaitis replied.

He said the average life of a fire truck from the 1990s is 20 years, and he is hoping the new trucks have the same life span or better.

Adomaitis said the fire department has been working on the purchase for more than a year.

He said because the departments other fire trucks are not old enough to qualify, he did not receive a grant for the new Pierce.

Adomaitis said there is enough room in the department’s North Jackson Street truck bays to accommodate the new truck plus the existing ones.

He said the borough’s residents should be proud of the new apparatus.

“This is the community’s equipment,” Adomaitis said. “It helps to benefit everyone.”