The Andalusia City Council agreed to replace a 1989 fire truck with a 2019 KME Custom Pumper Truck for $488,471.

Andalusia Fire Department Chief Russell McGlamory said that the main reason for the purchase is the amount of water the new fire truck will pump.

“Our ISO required fire flow is 3,500 gallons a minute,” McGlamory said. “Right now, we are having to take three trucks to a fire, because we have two 1,200 trucks and one 1,500. With this new truck pumping 2,000 gallons a minute, we can reach that requirement with only two trucks and not have the penalty for inadequate man power. I’m not saying that it will give us a definite boost in the ISO, but it is a major step in the right direction.”

A company called the ISO (Insurance Services Office) creates ratings for fire departments and their surrounding communities. The ratings calculate how well equipped fire departments are to put out fires in that community.

The truck will be delivered to Andalusia next month, because the truck was already built for shows. McGlamory said that if they were not buying a show truck, it would take a minimum of a year for delivery.

“It takes two to get all of the paper work written up,” McGlamory said. “And then it will take 11 months for them to build it. It will have to stop in Decatur to get all of the lettering and Andalusia Fire Department logos on it, but we should get it by August.”

The city will pay half of the $488,471 from its capital fund, and finance half with CCB Community Bank in Andalusia. The bank has provided five-year, fixed rate financing at 3.05 percent interest.