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Byron Mayor thankful of Fire Department’s quick response to Valley View fire


By Patrick Shumaker

Mon, Feb 18th, 2013
Posted in Byron Government

The Byron Fire Department will have a new tanker truck added to their inventory. The Freightliner M2, model 106 is due to arrive soon. The new rig will feature a 2,000-gallon water tank prepared to douse the flames of a variety of fires quickly. The truck’s removable tank top and sides are constructed of copolymer polypropylene, which means they are made for durability and strength with resistance to corrosion, or rust. The fire truck is equipped with a 350 HP cummings engine and it features a cold weather package that is needed for Minnesota’s cold winters. A 50-gallon gas tank plus having improved handling and a shorter turning radius over the older fire trucks, will certainly be an asset to Byron’s Fire fighters.

“The one thing that will be a change for us is that the new tanker will feature a rotating discharge,” said Byron Fire Chief Jeff Thorpe. “Now we can unload the water from the tanker at either side; it’s a pretty straight forward truck that we are looking forward to using. With some of the bigger tankers at around 2500 to 3500 gallons there can be a real problem of getting those trucks stuck in farm fields or narrow roads.”

A motion made by Byron City Council member Jason Snow and was seconded Matt Brekke for the city to aquire the Fire Truck was unanimously and quickly approved.

A recent fire at Byron’s Valley View Townhomes showed the need for having state-of-the-art fire fighting equipment. On February 2, a fire destroyed a section of the townhomes leaving eight different families, 22 people total without a residence. Due to quick response time and well-executed evacuation plans, there were no injuries to report. Some of the displaced residents were able to find shelter at Byrons City Hall building and The Red Cross stepped in quickly to assist those in need. Donations for victims of the fire can be made at First Security Bank in Byron. Funds are to be marked or labeled as “donations for Valley View fire relief.”

Mayor Ann Diercks and the entire Byron City Council extended “a big thank you to everyone on the local Fire Department for their response to the fire at Valley View.”

City Administrator Mary Blair-Hoeft has announced plans for the city hall facilities to be prepared for any future events of this nature. “When the fire came through it came to my attention that we had people taking shelter here at city hall. I would like for us to have some needed items like cases of water, blankets and items for children or babies on hand here. Just in case a fire or something else like that happens again in the future,” said Blair-Hoeft.

The next regular Byron City Council meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 27 at 6:00 pm. at City Hall: 680 Byron Main Court N.E.

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2530

4:51:11, Mar 1st 2013

Jim Jenson says:
I'm glad to see where some of our tax money goes as this truck sure does look like a very wise investment. Thanks for the continued excellence in the coverage of my home town news.


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