TIVERTON Tiverton hasn’t had its own ladder truck since the late 1980s when the one it owned had to be retired from service. Attempts over many years to get another one never garnered enough support, but this year may be different.
The town for years has been relying on neighboring communities that have ladder trucks to assist them at fires.
It’s not just taller buildings in town that present a challenge to firefighters, some of whom have been seriously injured after falling while trying to vent a roof. Even single story homes with steep roofs are treacherous. Fire Chief Bruce Reimels said one of his men fell off a roof while fighting a chimney fire and spent six months out on sick leave recovering from surgeries and a broken leg. A Westport, Mass., firefighter “is lucky to be alive,” Reimels said of his fall from a roof while fighting a chimney fire several years ago.