New rig for Ladder Company Two

It’s been 25 years since Baldwin Fire Department Hook and Ladder Company Two had a new fire truck to race across town, battle blazes and keep residents safe. But in a few weeks, the company’s new truck will be ready to hit the streets of Baldwin.

After nearly two years of planning and hundreds of man-hours, the long anticipated arrival of a 2015 Seagrave Tower Ladder came Feb. 8. The truck had just completed a two-day journey from Clintonville, Wisconsin, which is the home of the FWD Seagrave Company that manufactured the new truck.

“Years of planning and innovative design make the new Tower Ladder the safest, toughest, and most efficient choice on the market,” said Robert Quackenbush, commissioner of the Baldwin Fire District with 38 years of service. “The Baldwin Fire Department has found this apparatus to be rugged, safe and easy to use,” added Jerry Brown, a 41-year member of Ladder Company Two. “It is a tough, dependable and highly maneuverable machine.”

The new truck will be housed at the North Baldwin Fire House at Grand Avenue and Rose Boulevard. Hook and Ladder Company Two was established in 1951 and this will be the fourth new fire truck in its history. Many of the 37 firefighters assigned to the company were present on Feb. 8 when the new rig backed into their quarters for the first time. Applause was raised during this historic occasion. Many of the spouses, children and grandchildren were also present, as were the chiefs and commissioners for the event.

Eight BFD members comprised a committee to research new fire trucks and ultimately flew out to Wisconsin to do a final inspection on the truck last month. Brown explained that the department has a 25-year replacement plan for its trucks and budgets money each year to replace its rigs when needed.

The new rig will replace the 1990 Mack Tower Ladder now in service. Many members are sad to see such a dependable truck leave service after serving the town for so many years but all admit it is time, Brown said. “As much as we love the old rig and it’s been good to us, it’s showing its age,” he added. “Everything on it is 25 years old.”

Ladder Company Two’s newest addition is currently being serviced and is expected to make its Baldwin debut in the coming weeks.