Clermont City Council approves purchase of fire truck
Megan Mohlis
Contributing Writer
Monday night brought some exciting news for the city of Clermont, first of which was the approval for the purchase of a fire truck. According to Randy Wiedenhoff, councilmember and Clermont fire chief, the Clermont Fire Department has been in search of a truck for some time in order to haul equipment that is currently being left behind during fire calls.
“We’ve got water rescue gear, we’ve got a grain bin tube, and we have high-angle rope and rescue stuff that sits on our floor,” shared Councilmember and fellow fireman Bruce Lehmann.
“If you happen to go to a scene and they don’t tell us exactly what’s going on, then we don’t have that gear with us and somebody’s got to go back and get it. This way, we can take it with us, and this also has a way of getting at least four, maybe even six or seven, more people out to a fire scene,” continued Wiedenhoff.
With several of the firemen having ventured to Omaha to see the truck in person last week, the pros and cons were discussed with firsthand knowledge of the vehicle. In the end it was decided that with the funds already set aside, it would be a positive purchase for the Clermont community. With that, Wiedenhoff moved to buy the 1991 International Rescue Unit for $20,000; the motion was agreed upon unanimously.