The New Carlisle Fire Department put its new medic into service on Saturday with a traditional push-in ceremony.
The ceremony dates back to the days of horse-drawn fire vehicles. Horses were unable to back the vehicle into its bay, so it was pushed in by firefighters. That tradition continues today.
The medic is a 2020 Ford with 4-wheel drive and carried a price tag of around $250,000. The department paid cash for the vehicle.
One of the features of the new medic is a cot loading system. The medic will automatically load the cot with the patient into the medic.
The system added about $43.000 to the price tag, but Fire Chief Steve Trusty said, “That’s less than a Workmen’s Comp claim would cost for a firefighter injured loading a cot.”
The loading system can handle patients up to 700 lbs.
On hand for the ceremony were firefighters from New Carlisle and Bethel Township, City Council members and several citizens from the community.
Trusty thanked the residents of New Carlisle for renewing the Fire Levy, which made purchase of the medic possible. “In the past, we would take out loans to buy equipment,” said Trusty. “This medic belongs 100% to the City of New Carlisle.”
Funds generated by the Fire Levy can only be spent on the Fire Department.
Fire Chief Steve Trusty explains some of the features of the new Medic
Mayor Mike Lowrey and Fire Chief Steve Trusty both thanked the community for their support of their Fire Department