MATTOON — The Mattoon Fire Department has put a new fire engine with 1,000-gallon water capacity and its first automated CPR devices into service this spring.
The new engine, which also carries advance life support equipment, is based out of the fire station at 2700 Marshall Ave. that helps serve the west side of Mattoon and the two CPR devices are housed in the front-line ambulances in the fire station at City Hall.
Fire Chief Jeff Hilligoss said the City Council approved the emergency purchase of the new engine late last year after mechanical problems caused his number of pumping apparatuses to temporarily drop from four to one. He said they were able to quickly get this vehicle into service by buying a demonstration model from Banner Fire Equipment Inc. instead of ordering a custom-made one.
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"To order a new truck, it takes 2½ to three years before the process is completed and we get that truck here ready to go. I didn't have that kind of time," Hilligoss said. He added that the department usually submits detailed requests for the dimension of storage compartments on new vehicles but needed to create its own shelving for the new engine due to it being a demonstration model.
Hilligoss said the new E-ONE brand engine is relatively standard but does have storage capacity for up to 1,000 gallons of water, whereas 800 gallons was previously the top capacity within the department's fleet.
Capt. Kenny Clatfelter and engineer Andy Cole said the truck also contains advanced life support equipment to provide emergency medical care if needed until an ambulance arrives on scene, battery power hydraulic extrication equipment for reaching crashed vehicles without being connected to a pump, and a deck gun for supplementing fire hoses on scene.
"We can throw a lot of water at something in a hurry," Clatfelter said.
Hilligoss said the department purchased the new fire engine for $739,661 through the city's revolving loan fund. He said the department will pay off the loan from its annual budget during the course of several years at a 3% interest rate, instead of the rates of 5% to 7% that were being offered at the time by the private sector. He said such an engine would have cost $450,000 in 2020.Â
"You can see the how price increases of COVID and the delays on steel and other parts that an engine needs have gone up," Hilligoss said.
Regarding the new automated CPR devices, Hilligoss said the department purchased these two items for $16,014 each. He said the needed batteries and charging units resulted in the total being $36,783, which was covered by funding from part of the city's share of annual video gambling revenue in Mattoon.
Hilligoss said these LUCAS brand devices deliver nonstop chest compressions to adult patients of average size who are suffering from cardiac arrest. He said this relieves fatigue on the department's firefighters/emergency medical technicians during long ambulance rides to the hospital and frees up a crew member to focus on securing air flow, intravenous medication or other patient needs.
Engineers Dusty Rhoads and Mike Ueleke said the battery-powered devices can be applied to patients as soon as they are placed on a stretcher. They said consistent compressions can then be applied to the patients while crews focus on getting them out of a house or other emergency scene and into the waiting ambulance.Â
"It's going to limit interruption of the compressions," Cole said.
Hilligoss thanked the City Council for authorizing the acquisition of the new automated CPR devices and the new fire engine.
"We appreciate the council's support on getting this needed equipment. It would not have been possible without the council's support," Hilligoss said.