Lack of manpower forces Greensburg Fire Department to sell truck that requires 2 drivers

The end of an era is approaching for the Greensburg Fire Department.

The days are numbered for the department’s tractor-drawn ladder truck, which has become a casualty of fewer volunteers.

“It takes two drivers for this truck, and we just don’t have the manpower anymore,” said fire Chief Tom Bell.

The department has had this type of truck for about 70 years.

It was thought to better maneuver around the city’s tight streets with a rear axle that has an independent steering wheel and driver. But the truck only leaves the North Pennsylvania Avenue station for about 10% of calls because there aren’t always two drivers available, Bell said.

“It’s just something that we have to move on with the times,” he said.

Greensburg council took a step in that direction this week by approving the $425,000 purchase of a used 2011 ladder truck to replace the current 2012 model. The city is buying the truck from the Town Line Volunteer Fire Department in New York.

It’s what Bell referred to as a “straight truck,” one that doesn’t have the independent rear axle.

Southwest Greensburg has that type of ladder truck and it hasn’t had any issues responding to calls in neighboring Greensburg, he said.

To use the tractor-drawn truck with two cabs about 57 feet apart, two Greensburg firefighters operate separate wheels and communicate over a radio headset. The rear driver does not have any foot pedals and holds the wheel straight while traveling on a road such as Main Street.

But when it comes time to make a sharp turn, the back driver steers the opposite way of the front driver, making sure the rear end doesn’t collide with anything, such as traffic or a utility pole.

“You don’t have a lot of visibility,” Assistant Chief Jeffrey Heater said.

There’s been times when he has raced to the station to respond to a call only to sit there waiting for a second driver who ultimately never showed.

“It’s kind of heartbreaking that we have to get rid of it, but we just don’t have the manpower anymore,” Heater said.

The fire department will get a bit of an upgrade with the purchase. Although the Town Line’s truck is a year older, the ladder is slightly longer and it has a larger capacity for water pumping.

Bell said he hopes to have that truck in the next couple weeks.

The tractor-drawn ladder truck will then be put up for sale. He doesn’t expect to have any issues finding a buyer.

“It is a hot commodity right now,” he said.