The Shawville Clarendon Fire Department has added a new vehicle to the fleet, unveiling a 75 foot ladder truck yesterday (May 23).

Chief Lee Laframboise explained that their previous ladder truck was from 1989, and the new truck is a renovated 2002 model with around 13,000 miles on it. He explained that the contract for replacing the truck was won by Battleshield Industries Limited, a company out of Vars, Ontario that specializes in emergency vehicles, which purchased the vehicle in the United States before modifying it to Canadian specifications. The truck was purchased with the help of a grant from the provincial government and cost upwards of $400,000.

Laframboise said that while there might not be many tall buildings in the Pontiac requiring the ladder's full reach, it's very useful in getting water in the right places during structure fires. It also has the capacity to transport six firefighters and plenty of extra equipment to a scene. He added that he currently has around twelve firefighters certified to drive the truck and ten certified to operate the ladder.