Jackson Center volunteer firefighters and auxiliary members are working together to make improvements to the department's equipment, including fire trucks and radios.

The department bought two used trucks to replace a 1984 fire engine and a 1989 flatbed truck.

"What a vast improvement to what we had," Chief Marvin McAfoose said of the replacement trucks.

The department's new 1991 engine was one of the first engines to respond to the fire at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, McAfoose said.

The department's new 1998 rescue truck traveled around the United States as a demonstrator and was never actually used in a fire until it came to Jackson Center, said Linda Heckman, president of the ladies auxiliary.

On the old truck, firefighters had to ride outside, belted into jump seats, McAfoose said. The new trucks hold seven and nine people each.

Firefighters also will be getting new pagers, compliments of the ladies auxiliary. The auxiliary presented the firefighters with a $10,000 check Friday to buy them.

Mrs. Heckman said the current pagers will be outdated soon because Mercer County 911 is updating its system.

The money was raised through dinners, craft shows and car cruise-ins, Mrs. Heckman said.

McAfoose said firefighters are training to use their new equipment.

"We've got good membership; now we want to improve the quality of the work," McAfoose said, adding that firefighters already do good work.

"We really work together as one team now instead of two," Mrs. Heckman said of the 20-member auxiliary and the 30-member fire department. She said the auxiliary helps out at fire scenes and firefighters attend auxiliary events.

The next fund-raiser will be a craft show at the firehall from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 22, Mrs. Heckman said. She said it will include a Chinese auction, a raffle and many artisans.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Kristen Garrett at:
kgarrett@sharonherald.com