By By Arthur McLean
Christmas came a little early for the McCullough Volunteer Fire Department.
Sunday, the department took delivery of a new fire truck, the first new fire truck the department's had since its founding in 1989.
"We're very proud of this accomplishment," said Mary Sells, the department's assistant fire chief.
Sells wrote the application for the grant which made purchasing the truck possible. The process took about four months to apply for and be approved for the grant from the Department of Homeland Security.
The truck is a pumper style truck built on a 2004 Kenworth truck body and frame. The fire truck's tank can hold 1,000 gallons of water and pump 1,250 gallons of water per minute.
It took three months to build the truck at a plant in South Dakota before it was delivered by Bay Fire Products of Bay Minette.
Total cost of the truck was $130,000. The grant will pay $117,000 of that cost. The rest will come from fundraisers and county support.
A number of fire officials were on hand for the reception, including Joey Moffat, the Dist. 7 president of the Alabama Association of Volunteer Fire Departments, the district vice president, and Sells, who is the state secretary for the organization. Sells is also the 2004 female firefighter of the year for the state.