BELVIDERE – An incident that resulted in the loss of the Belvidere Fire Department’s ladder truck was discussed at the July 26 Belvidere City Council’s committee of the whole meeting.
BFD Fire Chief David Worrell provided some background on the incident by saying that on July 23, a call about a suspected gas leak at the Oasis mobile home park prompted the department to send out two fire trucks.
At the time of the call, one of the department’s engine trucks was being serviced for routine repairs in McHenry.
The department’s other engine truck as well as the ladder truck were dispatched to the scene. Worrell said that on the return trip from that call, near Townhall Road and Route 20, "a hydraulic hose burst" on the ladder truck, causing a fire.
Worrell reported that the fireman on that ladder truck used portable fire extinguishers in an attempt to subdue the flames, but without much success, so a call was made to a back up engine to assist.
Once the firefighters realized their efforts would not be enough to extinguish the flames, Worrell said they began salvaging equipment from the cab of the engine and its compartments.
"Unfortunately, it appears that the ladder truck is a total loss," Worrell concluded, saying that an insurance adjuster has begun a preliminary review of the vehicle, with the ladder and the motor being the worst affected areas. A resolution on a claim will be forthcoming.
Until the issue of replacing the ladder truck is resolved, Worrell has assured those assembled that the Rockford Fire Department’s facility, located on Trainer Road, has pledged to be on standby for use in Belvidere.
Replacing the lost ladder truck may take several forms – from buying or leasing a new one outright, to purchasing a used vehicle from another municipality or arriving at a rental agreement from a neighboring town. Worrell said he received several calls from area fire departments extending offers of ongoing assistance, but nothing formal at this point.
Worrell estimated that a new ladder truck would run about $900,000 and thought a ballpark figure from the insurance claim might possibly net about $400,000.
Alderman Ray Pendzinski asked if the hose was a part of the ladder truck that was regularly tested for problems. Worell replied, "Like any hose, you just never know when it will blow or a fitting will come loose."
Alderman Mark Sanderson asked if the routine inspections on the vehicle were completed by certified apparatus inspectors, and Worrell responded that they were.
In addition, Sanderson wanted to know what the loss would mean in terms of the BFD’s effectiveness while a remedy is determined. Worrell said that there is certain equipment, in particular the extended ladder, that is unable to be transported by the engine trucks, but added that with the assistance of the Rockford truck on Trainer Road, behind the Target store, there would be no compromise in fire safety for Belvidere.
Worrell said he will continue to research options for replacing the vehicle and hopes to have a solution to present to the council by the end of August.
