Rick Dirr, Nederland Fire Chief. Not unlike the parents of a recently delivered newborn, NFPD (Nederland Fire Protection District)  Board President Iain Irwin-Powell and Captain Charlie Schmidtmann stand proudly in front of NFPD’s newest water tender. This following a multi-day road trip retrieving our recent purchase from Henderson, Nevada.

The new tender is a 1996 International 6x4 with a 3,000 gallon tank and 750 gpm pump.  Through the hard work of both career and volunteer staff it is now outfitted to support both wildland and structure fire responses. This tender was funded, researched, located and delivered primarily through the hard work of the NFPD Board of Directors. Special acknowledgement is deserved by Board VP Patrick Richardson who not only located this specific vehicle, but negotiated a significant price reduction, pump rebuild, certification and ultimately it’s acquisition by the Department.

This new water tender was purchased for $75,000 and has been placed into service at NFPD Station #2 on Ridge Road. It replaces a former tender, in a significant state of deterioration. The older tender was equipped with a finicky pump of which parts were no longer available and numerous other repair requests. The former water tender was determined to be beyond economic repair status and was placed out of service by the Board of Directors. 

The new tender, a dramatic improvement not only in water capacity but also in simplicity to drive and operate. From a functionality perspective the new tender, directly mirrors our primary tender housed at NFPD Station #1, which greatly aids in the ability for both volunteer and career staff to operate. 

Water tender usage is vital for the non-hydrated areas of the District that we serve. The Insurance Service Organization (ISO) routinely evaluates fire departments performance capabilities, and most recently NFPD obtained a significant improvement in the rating for exactly these areas. Water tender capacity and performance are directly tied to the recent improvement in this rating, which this new tender directly supports.

NFPD is proud of its recent acquisition, and looks forward to the continued tradition of excellent service to our community.

(Originally published in the April 22, 2021, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)