Decorah test drives aerial firetruck from Indianola

Last evening, Decorah's Fire Department test drove a new aerial firetruck that has been put on sale by the city of Indianola.

According to city administrator Chad Bird, there has been discussion about replacing the
aerial truck currently used by Decorah for some time.

"The current aerial truck is a 1999 model,"
Bird said. "It's starting to age out, so we've been talking about replacing it at the end of its useful life, which is typically around 20 years"

According to the fire department, the current aerial truck has recently seen some mechanical issues, particularly with its ladder and swivel.

"We've had issues with turning the ladder to the right," Fire Chief Mike Ashbacher said.

Aside from the issues with the present truck, Indianola's truck is a big upgrade. The new truck would have a 115 foot articulated ladder. Decorah's current aerial truck has only a 75 foot ladder.

City officials reminded that this was only an opportunity to test the new truck and to see if it fits in the station. Conversations between the city council, public safety committee and city of Indianola will continue to determine whether or not Decorah will pay the $900,000 asking price.