Forsyth County Fire Department Puts New Ladder Truck, Engine in Service

Ladder truck is SPLOST-funded  

The Forsyth County Fire Department has welcomed into its fleet two new pieces of firefighting apparatus. A new 100-foot aerial fire apparatus, often referred to as a ladder truck, and a new engine are now in service.  

“The new ladder truck and engine are important components of the department’s five-year plan,” Fire Chief Danny Bowman said. “They are critical pieces of equipment that will, without question, assist our firefighters as they perform their daily fire suppression and emergency response missions. They will also help boost departmental efficiency and enhance the safety of our personnel.”  

Ladder trucks are primary fire service apparatus providing critical truck company functions that include aerial operations, search and rescue, ventilation, salvage and overhaul, and utilities control at all fire scenes. The new Truck 14 is housed at Fire Station 14 located on McFarland Parkway in south Forsyth County. It was funded by the current Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax program, SPLOST VI. It is the county’s second ladder truck, joining Truck 1 which is housed at Fire Station 1 in downtown Cumming.  

Engines are the basic response unit and the backbone of the department, responding to all incidents. Engines perform suppression functions, medical response, and motor vehicle accident response and extrication duties. The new engine is housed at new Fire Station 7 which opened in June 2011 in the Silver City community in north Forsyth County. Funding for Engine 7 came from the Fire Department budget. The county has twelve staffed engines currently in service.  

Both new units replaced aging apparatus which are now a part of the department’s reserve fleet. Reserve apparatus are temporarily called into service while front-line units undergo any required maintenance.  

“This fire department is committed to serving the people of Forsyth County to the very best of our ability,” Bowman said. “These new apparatus are part of our ongoing plan to maintain our level of fire protection and emergency services. Without the continued support of our citizens, Board of Commissioners and county administration this would not be possible.”    

About SPLOST
SPLOST, or Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, is a voter-approved, one-percent sales tax that has been in effect in Forsyth County since 1983. For every dollar spent in Forsyth County, one penny goes into a fund devoted to certain, identified capital improvement projects.

Forsyth County’s current SPLOST program, SPLOST VI, was approved by voters February 5, 2008, and went into effect July 1, 2008. It will expire June 30, 2013.  

Additional Fire Department projects to receive funding from the SPLOST VI program include New Fire Station 4, currently under construction in the Ducktown area of west Forsyth County, and new Fire Station 3 in the Matt community, construction of which is expected to commence later this year.