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New truck enhances Duncombe Fire

-Messenger photo by Chad Thompson A new 2017 Chevrolet Silverado allows the Duncombe Volunteer Fire Department to haul more firefighters on calls.

DUNCOMBE — The Duncombe Volunteer Fire Department has a new truck that will now be on scene for all medical and extrication calls, according to Daryl Hanson, volunteer fire chief.

The 2017 Chevy Silverado was purchased from Kemna Auto of Fort Dodge with the help of three grants.

Aureon, Webster-Calhoun Cooperative Telephone Association and Pioneer contributed to the purchase of the truck.

The truck cost $33,000. It was then taken to Truck Equipment in Des Moines for the installation of the box in the back of the truck, which stores medical equipment.

The cost of the box was $15,000.

-Messenger photo by Chad Thompson Daryl Hanson, Duncombe volunteer fire chief, opens up the back doors to a new truck that will be on scene for all medical calls.

Having space in the back of the truck is a necessity for EMTs, according to Amanda Thumma, a volunteer firefighter and EMT.

“Being an EMT, I like that we have a lot of room to go back and get our supplies,” she said. “We have more room for storage.”

The added space will also benefit potential patients.

“We can take patients in there to evaluate them, which is huge for us,” Thumma said. “Being non-transport, we never had anywhere to put someone until we waited for an ambulance. So if it takes 20 minutes to get an ambulance here, we can at least have them in the back of the truck to get them out of the elements. That was our biggest thing.”

Thumma has been with the fire department for almost three years.

She added that, with the new truck, more firefighters will be able to travel to emergencies.

“The old truck was in poor shape and didn’t have a lot of space,” Thumma said.

The Silverado can seat five people, whereas the 1995 GMC pickup it replaced was only a two-door truck.

“Our old one was falling apart,” Thumma said. “The box on our old truck, the seals and stuff were leaking. A lot of our equipment was getting ruined.”

The fire department has 17 volunteers, seven of which are EMTs, Hanson reported.

“We do really good for a smaller department,” Thumma said.

Hanson said it was time for an upgrade.

“We wanted more room and more seating to haul more people,” he said. “And get more personal vehicles off of the Interstate. We needed more storage space and something newer.”

Hanson said he is also appreciative of the funds that have been raised at the town’s annual Fireman’s Ball.

The 2017 ball is Saturday.

“Our Fireman’s Ball helps us raise a lot of money,” Hanson said.

Duncombe Volunteer Fireman’s Ball

• Saturday, Duncombe recreation center

• $15 per adult, $5 children 12 and under

• Smoked pork chop dinner catered by Howard Ball, serving from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

• All proceeds will be used to purchase new equipment for the fire department.

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