New tanker truck purchased by Bonicord fire department volunteers

The volunteer firemen at Bonicord have a new claim to fame -- the largest and most state-of-the-art tanker truck in Dyer County.

The truck was put on display for the first time Saturday. Built by Fouts Brothers in Atlanta, Ga., the 3,000-gallon tanker was purchased through a fire-fighting grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security. According to fire chief Bill Neal, the purchase price was $140,000, only $7,000 of which came from the county in the manner of matching funds.

In addition to the truck, Bonicord received a 3,000-gallon water shuttle -- a water-storage facility set up at the scene of a fire that allows the tanker to empty its contents and then return to a water source to reload.

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