Western North Carolina fire department receives equipment upgrade

TRYON, N.C. (WSPA) – A western North Carolina fire department received a major equipment upgrade first responders said will improve their response times.

The town of Tryon Fire Department has a new fire engine with a price tag of $700,000. Chief Josh Walton told 7NEWS the department waited more than three years to add it to their inventory.

"It's gonna really up our response with equipment. And also, you'll get a top-line engine to any fire with the new truck that we have. We'd updated the equipment on it, everything is new on the truck," Walton said.

Walton said the department hasn't added a fire engine since 2008. He added the new fire engine will help his team with responses, rescues, and medical emergencies.

"What it'll allow us to do is take the secondary engine and make it more of a rescue truck. A white rescue truck," Walton also said. "So, we'll take some of the firefighting stuff off of this, for that truck, put on the new engine, and be able to respond, good apparatus, to any wrecks and any type of rescue."

According to Walton, the new fire engine is funded through a one percent sales tax Polk County leaders approved last year.