SOLON — As the fire service continues to evolve so too does the number of specialty vehicles needed. The Solon Tri-Township Fire Department is no exception with pumpers (“engines”), a tanker to haul water to rural fire scenes where there are no fire hydrants, a brush truck for field and wildland fires, a dedicated Emergency Medical Services (EMS) rescue truck, a “heavy rescue” truck for a wide array of rescue incidents, and off-road vehicles for the aforementioned wildland fires and medical emergencies out on the trails. Another specialized vehicle has joined the all-volunteer department’s fleet – A 2023 Ford F-150 outfitted as a command vehicle and personnel transport.
The charcoal gray over lime yellow pickup will provide an incident commander with a mobile office out of the elements and away from the many distractions on a working fire, accident, or other scene.
The truck was made possible through a generous donation by the estate of Rose Marie Schwichtenberg, who died in October 2021. “Aunt Rosie,” as she was known by her nephews Dave, Lee, and Steve Connell of Solon, was born in rural Lisbon in 1930 and graduated from Lisbon High School in 1948. Rose and her husband Howard owned and operated Boston Fisheries in Cedar Rapids from 1963-1985.
“Her husband passed away, and her daughter passed away, she’s got two grand kids, and she wanted to share her money not only with her grandchildren but with causes that were important to her,” said Lee. In addition to the Solon Fire Department, the Mount Vernon, Lisbon, and Springville Fire Departments also received donations. Lee had 11 years on the Solon Fire Dept. while Steve had 20 and retired as a Captain. Rose’s grandson Brian Freese served on the Springville Fire Dept. In total, ten entities including a hospice, Unity Point St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids, as well as some animal shelters. “They did well for themselves, and they were gracious in giving it to charities,” said Lee.
‘Clean Cab’ initiative aims to reduce cancer risk
In addition to its role as a command post, the new truck will also be key in a new effort to reduce the cancer risk to firefighters. Due to their exposure to a plethora of carcinogens found in smoke firefighters have a greater risk of developing and dying from cancer than the general public. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has determined that firefighters have 2.02 times greater risk of developing testicular cancer, 2.0 times greater risk of mesothelioma, a 1.53 times greater risk of multiple myeloma, a 1.51 times greater risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a 1.39 times greater risk of skin cancer, a 1.31 times greater risk of malignant melanoma, a 1.31 times greater risk of brain cancer, and a 1.28 times greater risk of developing prostate cancer. Overall, the United States Fire Administration said firefighters have a 9% higher risk of developing cancer and a 14% risk of dying from cancer.
30 years ago, it was common practice to put smoke and soot-stained “turnout” or “bunker gear” (the protective coat and pants worn by firefighters) back on the rack after returning to the station from a fire. “Salty” gear showing evidence of having been in a fire was something of a badge of honor as even a casual glance at the gear hanging on the racks showed who the veteran firefighters were. Today a number of initiatives are in place to discourage dirty gear saturated with carcinogenic particles ranging from a quick decontamination wash down at the scene to a “clean cab” concept, which keeps dirty turnout gear out of the cabs of the trucks. Some fire departments have even gone as far as to keep the gear in outside compartments on the trucks, with firefighters donning it at the scene and removing it before getting back into the truck to return.
In Solon, firefighters will remove their turnout gear at the scene and load it into the back of the new pickup, which will then transport it back to the station. “It keeps that dirty gear out of our engines. When we get back, we’ll glove up, pull it apart (turnout gear is made with multiple layers from a flame-resistant outer shell to a fluid barrier, and an insulating layer) and wash it up,” said Wolfe. “We sat down and met with them before we bought the pickup and asked the family how they wanted us to spend the money and they graciously said whatever we need. And that was a huge need, and we didn’t know how we were going to get that done. It was great timing, perfect for us, it couldn’t have worked out any better. We’re very lucky, very happy, and very grateful.”
(From left) Dave, Lee, and Steve Connell pose with the Solon Fire Department’s new command truck, a 2023 Ford F-150, which was made possible by a monetary donation from their Aunt Rose’s estate. The Mount Vernon, Lisbon, and Springville Fire Departments received similar donations.