2011 PVFA purchases used tanker for Plainfield

The Plainfield Volunteer Firefighters Association recently acquired a 3,300 gallon tanker, one of the largest tankers in the Hilltowns, for the Town of Plainfield. The 1984 tanker was originally used by a fire department in Pennsylvania, and has been well maintained. Members of the fire department have made the few necessary repairs to put it in service, and it has already responded on fire calls. PVFA used $15,000 raised from several years of its fundraising efforts (annual donations and Chicken Barbecue, for example). The departments old tanker was rusting badly, and was at risk of dumping its 2,000 gallons of water inside the fire station at any time. The replacement became available and PVFA jumped at the chance to purchase it. The new tanker has a stainless steel tank, three electrically controlled dump valves, dual wheel axles, and a Detroit diesel engine. With only a few houses in the center of town served by fire hydrants, shuttling water to fire scenes by tanker is a crucial step in fighting most fires in Plainfield. This new tanker will get more water to a fire more quickly, which can make an important difference in firefighters' ability to stop a house fire before it spreads too far.