Elected Officials, city staff and fire department personnel have officially welcomed a new tower ladder fire truck to the City of Elmhurst.

During a ceremonial unveiling of the new apparatus, which took place on Monday July 11th at 9 a.m., Father Andrew of Saint Demetrios Church in Elmhurst blessed the new tower ladder truck and Interim Fire Chief, Bill Anaszewicz thanked Elected Officials and the Apparatus Committee for all of the work put into the designing of the new apparatus.

“Your support of this purchase allows our department to continue to provide the best service possible to the residents of Elmhurst.” stated Anaszewicz.

The City purchased the new ladder truck in June 2015 from Emergency One Incorporated where it then went through one year of building and testing before being ready for service. The truck is 45 feet, 5 inches long and the truck’s ladder can extend up to 95 feet.

Several upgraded features to the new truck include a new pump configuration and controls, improved LED lighting, and a state of the art basket design making it easier for firefighters to carry tools, conduct rescues, and access roofs. The new ladder truck cost approximately $960,000 and has a life expectancy of over 20 years.

The ceremonial unveiling of the new ladder truck also included a “wet down”, which is a long-standing fire service tradition where new apparatus is anointed with water by local clergy and then cleaned and slowly rolled backwards into the bay by firefighters.

Also in attendance was special guest John Dramm, a 91 year-old retired firefighter who was one of the last drivers of the City’s antique Seagrave Pumper truck. After the ceremony, firefighters took Mr. Dramm for a ride on the antique fire truck.