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By Casey Roberts

casey.roberts@bluegrassnewsmedia.com

The Lincoln County Fire Department is adding three brand-new fire engines to its fleet, replacing aging equipment and enhancing safety and service for both firefighters and the community.

The new additions include one engine and two tanker-pumpers, each outfitted with updated technology, expanded water capacity and improved safety features that meet modern National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards.

“These trucks are replacing models from as far back as 2002,” said Lincoln County Fire Chief Eric Davidson. “It’s been a long time coming, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our fire board and especially our taxpayers. We’re incredibly thankful.”

According to Davidson, the new engine carries 1,000 gallons of water—consistent with the county’s standard engine capacity—while each of the two new tanker-pumpers holds 2,100 gallons. That’s a significant upgrade from the 1,600- and 1,800-gallon trucks they are replacing.

“By bringing more water with us at the start of a call, these tankers can reduce how often we have to leave a fire scene to refill,” Davidson said. “That means faster response and better service for our residents.”

The new trucks feature enhanced safety systems such as rollover protection and built-in seat belt alarms, which notify drivers if a passenger isn’t properly secured—now required under NFPA guidelines and the department’s own policies.

“These cabs are built with more safety features to protect our firefighters, especially on the back roads we travel in Lincoln County,” Davidson said.

The upgraded engines also come with simplified pump systems, which Davidson said will help ease the learning curve for new recruits during training.

“They’re much easier to operate than the older models,” he said. “That’s going to save time during emergencies and during training.”

The department expects to take possession of the first two trucks—currently undergoing final inspection in Shelbyville—by the end of the week or early next week. Once decals are added and firefighters are trained, the engines will be put into service.

“We’re hoping you’ll see them out on the roads within a couple of weeks,” Davidson said.

The equipment being replaced was already serving as reserve units due to the wear and age of the county’s frontline trucks. Those outgoing vehicles won’t go to waste; they’ve been sold to neighboring departments in Casey County.

“East Casey and Southeast Casey have purchased the older trucks to help meet their own needs,” Davidson said. “They’ll still be useful equipment for them for the time being.”

Davidson said this marks a major step forward for the department, but it’s just the beginning.

“We’ve still got trucks going back to 1994 that need to be replaced,” he said. “We hope this is the start of a trend where we can continue modernizing our apparatus and better serving Lincoln County.”