SANTEE, S.C. — The Santee Fire Service District has two new fire trucks after receiving a $19,000 grant to replace the old ones they've used for about 30 years.
"It's been a long time coming, but it came time to upgrade all of our fire trucks in our department," said Chief Edward Barnett.
Chief Barnett says typically you want to replace the equipment after 10 years. Firefighters for the district say the upgrade eases their minds now when they respond to emergency calls.
"If we get called out for a structure fire, and the pipes on our pump are not up to par, that can hinder firefighting operations," Barnett said.
The fire service district covers 39 miles to serve Santee residents. The fire chief says they responded to 650 calls last year. He says these new trucks will desperately help out the 20 firefighters and volunteers he has on board.
"It cuts back on the maintenance costs, and it also helps out when we respond to scenes because we know we have reliable trucks," explained Chief Barnett.