The truck — called a tower ladder — was numbered to honor Tom Peart, a firefighter who died on March 14, 2014. His death at age 48 of an apparent heart attack was a shock to his fellow firefighters.

Lt. Devon Schuster said 25 was Peart’s badge number. He said the firefighters decided to give the truck that number to honor him.

He added that the rig is sometimes referred to as “Big Tom.”

Big Tom backed into the firehouse for the first time last week.

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
Fire Department Lt. Devon Schuster, left, talks to Paul Neeson, a retired Fire Department captain, Wednesday morning in the bucket of the new tower ladder truck.

The truck has a boom that extends 100 feet into the air. At the end of that boom is a bucket equipped with a large nozzle where firefighters stand to make rescues and attack fires.

The truck has a pump that can move 2,000 gallons of water a minute. It also has a 300 gallon water tank for putting out small fires.

It is powered by a diesel engine with a nearly 600 horsepower capacity.

The truck was made by Pierce Manufacturing of Appleton, Wisconsin. It cost about $1.6 million.

It will replace a ladder truck delivered in 2006. The older truck will be retained to serve as a backup.

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
The boom of the tower ladder has panels with Fort Dodge and 1854, the year the town was founded, printed on them.

Fire Chief Matt Price said the new tower ladder will go in service next month after it is fully equipped and all firefighters are trained on it.

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
The front of the tower ladder has Truck 25 printed on it and a unique spinning light mounted on the grill.