The Morris Fire Department has added a new weapon to its firefighting arsenal - a seventy-five foot ladder truck.

Fire Chief Wes Zilkie is excited about the purchase. He says their latest upgrade will be a great asset to Morris and the surrounding communities, requiring members to undergo extra training.

“It’s a completely different animal, because now you're running a pump and an aerial at the same time. It’ll take a little bit of training, a little bit getting of getting used to -- it's a big truck!”

Zilkie he has faith in his members that this will go quickly.

“We’re starting off with a handful of members that are licensed to drive it, to be able to run the pump and an aerial both. And then we're going to expand it to the rest of the membership later on.”

There’s been talk about getting a new ladder truck for the past three years. But Zilkie says they were reluctant to pull the trigger on what he describes as a pricey apparatus. They needed to make sure it was the right choice and the right time to make it. That changed when they located the ladder truck in B.C.

The vehicle will enhance the safety of his team, added Zilkie.

“Absolutely. There are situations like with roof ventilation. You’re up on a tin roof and it's a little bit wet out, you'll slide right off that roof. With an aerial unit you can actually put the ladder right on top and you can work safely. And that's what I look at. The safety of our members comes first because obviously we want everybody go home at the end of the day.”

Zilkie adds the new ladder truck will allow the department to do more things and to help surrounding communities us as well.

Now that the truck has been put into service, Zilkie says they’ve been contacted by two communities wanting to enter agreements to provide aerial assistance when needed.