The Plains-Paradise Rural Volunteer Fire Department acquired a new fire engine Monday afternoon.

The department was able to receive the engine through a grant from FEMA called the Assistance to Firefighters Grant. The grant was worth $281,000.

After receiving the grant, Plains-Paradise Rural ordered the engine to be built. The engine was originally from Jasper, Georgia and was hauled up by a company called Southern Fire and because of that, the engine is basically brand-new with hardly any mileage on it.

This type of fire engine is known as a “Super Engine” and is now most modern fire engine the department has.

That was a big reason for the upgrade. The other engines in the Plains-Paradise Rural Volunteer Fire Department were decades old. The one that was replaced was from the year 1978 and Assistant Chief and firefighter Lee Mercier felt it needed to be replaced.

“The ones we have are older models and it was time for an upgrade,” said Mercier.

A big example of how the engine will be a big asset is that the older engine could only carry 750 gallons of water. This new engine will now be able to hold up to 2,000 gallons of water.

“This will give us more water to have at a site and in case of a larger fire, it will case less problems for us,” said Mercier.

Mercier wrote to FEMA to get the grant as is a big reason Plains-Paradise Rural Volunteer Fire Department now has the engine.