North Madison Fire Company members meet with New Market Community Fire Department members at rest area in Somerset PA to turn over ownership. Photo Left to Right Lieutenant Steve Brunelle, Firefighter Ed Wolff, Chief David Cone, and New Market FD members. Photo taken by Firefighter/Company President Paul Harris. Face coverings were worn during the meeting and removed for purpose of picture.

On Saturday May 30, 2020 four North Madison Volunteer Firefighters made the trek to Somerset Pennsylvania to deliver NMVFC’s old Engine Ten-55. A 1993 KME Pumper that was purchased by the Town of Madison Brand New in 1993. The trip to PA was only the half way point to Ten-55’s final destination of New Market Indiana. The new proud owners of the engine, is the New Market Community Volunteer Fire Department. This piece of apparatus was a donation from the Town of Madison and the North Madison Volunteer Fire Company. It will be replacing an extremely out dated piece of equipment in New Market. The old Ten-55 replaces a 1968 American Barton pumper that was accepted for delivery in 1969 by Chief James H. Keller, the grandfather of the current New Market fire chief.  (Tragically, the elder Chief Keller suffered a fatal heart attack at a fire later that same year, after riding to the fire in the same truck.)  The current chief’s father and uncle have also served as fire chief.  The 1968 truck has a 300 gallon water tank and a 250 gallon per minute (GPM) pump, while Ten-55 has a 1000 gallon tank and a 1500 GPM pump. This is an obvious upgrade for this small fire department and community which has an approximate population of 700. The crew from North Madison traveled a total of 835 miles to deliver the engine and included Fire Chief David Cone, Lieutenant Steve Brunelle, Firefighter Paul Harris, and Firefighter Ed Wolff. The members from New Market Community Fire Department were ecstatic to accept this piece of apparatus that will bring their fleet and firefighting capabilities up to standard. The town of Madison is extremely lucky to have an excellent fire apparatus maintenance and replacement program that follows the standard of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1911. This is important to maintain to help keep our volunteer firefighters in town safe while responding with fire apparatus, as well as during fire suppression operations. The North Madison Volunteer Fire Company received in 2018 a new Ten-55 that is a 2018 Pierce Arrow XT pumper, which replaced the old 1993 KME pumper. Fire Chief David Cone thanks everyone involved for their hard work in organizing the recent donation to the New Market Community Fire Department.

Photos from the trip.