Po-Mar-Lin Fire Company is proud to announce that on Monday, January 13, 2020, the new Rescue 36, a 2019 Pierce Enforcer Mega PUC Rescue Engine, is officially in service. This comes as exciting news for the members, especially as the company welcomes 2020 as its 71st year.

Members spent all of Monday night putting the new rescue together, finding new homes for hand tools, placing equipment in compartments, and packed what seemed like an endless supply of hose.

The old rescue holds 15 years' worth of memories for some of the members who have been around for a while. It served both firefighters and community well and hopefully, it will find a home with another company. Removing the tools and equipment from the old rescue was, in a sense, cathartic and a good exercise for the members to do together.

Stephen Nuse, President, and Chair of the Apparatus Committee took a few members out for a ride on the new rescue while accumulating some night time driver training after going into service.

“Everyone came together as a team. It was more than simply taking things off the old rescue and placing them on the new one, it was training. Learning where everything went and doing it as a company,” said Nuse.

The Apparatus Committee designed the new rescue to be more ergonomically friendly for firefighters, featuring lower hose beds and more space in the cab for tools and gear (featuring 6 seats instead of 8). The size of the new rescue has been the biggest change. A shorter apparatus makes for easier maneuverability.

Fire Chief and member of the Apparatus Committee Jason Griffith reflected on the homecoming of the new rescue:

“The process of putting a new truck in service has been one of the most gratifying experiences I have had in the fire service. Being involved and seeing first hand the amount of hard work that went into the brainstorming, the drawings, and the build process was amazing. Finally, getting to see the excitement on the members’ faces as they were putting the final tools and hose on the truck, knowing it was now ready to respond, was the most rewarding part.”

An apparatus, like a rescue engine, is probably one of the most important tools a firefighter can have. Sometimes, firefighters need it just as they need each other. It has to be ready to go and perform effectively during an emergency and bring everybody home safely. From blueprints and committee meetings to inspections and homecomings, Rescue 36 is ready for its firefighters and community.