New fire truck has added community benefits

GLADSTONE — A brand new Michigan-crafted fire truck donated to Gladstone will do more than put out fires.

The Gladstone Public Safety Department received a large donation from the John and Melissa Besse Foundation that went towards purchasing a new fire truck. The truck itself rang in at $330,000 with additional equipment bringing the grand total to $500,000.

The new piece of equipment has built in foam dispensers and is equipped with the latest and greatest gadgets.

While putting out fires is this engine’s main function, it comes with an additional benefit for the community.

“Every community goes through a rating system by the insurance companies that are called property protection class ratings and we went through a review and they were expecting this truck in that review and we improved our rating,” said Gladstone Public Safety Director Paul Geyer. “So people that pay home owner’s insurance and business insurance, the better rating we have, the better rates they get on their home owner’s insurance. It’s helping out the community in more ways than one.”

The department hopes the new truck will exceed the typical lifespan due to the high craftsmanship.

“We had known for a few years that the city of Gladstone was in need of a new fire truck. Eventually, we were able to make it happen for the city,” said Greg Besse, the president of the John and Melissa Besse Foundation. “It’s going to help save lives, property and homes. It’s going to make the city of Gladstone just a little better and safer place to live.”

The new fire truck was manufactured in Grayling, Michigan, not too far away in the lower peninsula. It replaced the aging one bought second hand in 1988.