MONMOUTH -- Firefighters recently drove their new heavy-duty rescue truck to its first call --a house fire in Winthrop.

It lived up to expectations.

"It worked really great," said Monmouth Fire Chief Andre Poulin. "Winthrop requested it because of its ability to fill air bottles at the scene."

Before the department had the new air-bottle system, firefighters had to shuttle back and forth from the station to replenish their breathing apparatus. The closest portable compressor was in a town near Lewiston.

Having the new 2008 Ferrara rescue truck changes all that.

The Monmouth Fire Department fleet also includes three pumpers and two tankers.

Town Manager Curtis Lunt said the truck cost $206,000, funded through the department's vehicle reserve fund.

Poulin said the department received a number of federal Homeland Security grants over the past six years totaling approximately $200,000, and those funds were used to buy the equipment.

Lunt said the Homeland Security grants also provided air-lifting bags, which allow rescue workers to lift thousands of pounds of weight from car accident victims and also those caught in collapsed buildings.

Poulin said the new truck replaced a 1973 vehicle.

"It's the only truck of its kind in the region," Poulin said. "It's classified as heavy-rescue. We'll have all our vehicle-extraction equipment on it, and it has a generator and very powerful lights to light up an emergency scene."

The unit -- to be known as "Squad 3" -- will be housed at the fire station in Monmouth center. That fire house, built 50 years ago, is actually large enough for modern equipment, he said.

He said firefighters are especially pleased to have the truck at their disposal. "They think it's a great addition to our fleet," he said. "And it will be here for the next 35 years."

Mechele Cooper -- 623-3811, Ext. 408

mcooper@centralmaine.com