By Erin Schwager
Journalist
Royal wins bid for new engine
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December 17, 2020
Erin Schwager
Fire apparatus • Royal Volunteer Fire Department members check out the latest addition to the squad's fleet. Taking a look at the fire engine during a Dec. 10 meeting are (front row, l-r): Clay Curtis, Ross Becklun, Alan Colson, Austin Hilkemeier, Larry Hurtig; Gary Ober; (back row, l-r): Max Hieter, Corey Curtis, Aaron Schleusener, Colton Hahn, Jake Johnston, Colton Beed, Seth Andersen, Seth Snodgrass, Duaine Brandt and Butch Hergert.
This year has been extremely hard on small-town fire departments. Within the past two months alone, the Royal Volunteer Fire Department has responded to six calls in the area.
On a brighter note, department members recently received exciting news: They are now the proud new owners of another fire truck.
On Nov. 2, the Bloomfield Rural Fire District, opened bids on a 1999 GMC Topkick 7500 Midwest Pumping Unit fire truck.
Royal firefighters, with the help of the Orchard Rural Fire Board, submitted a bid.
Royal Fire Chief Gary Ober received a phone call the first week of December stating bids had been opened and Royal's bid won.
The truck arrived in Royal, Dec. 9.
The new engine has a bigger tank that can haul 2,000 gallons of water, instead of 1,500 gallons like older trucks in the Royal fleet.
Department members say they are "thrilled" to have purchased this truck because it is 16 years newer than others the department owns.
Ober said, "In the last 45 years, our fire department has grown considerably. When I came on in 1976, we had one old pumper, and now we have built our fire department up to three fire trucks, plus twenty-some members."
Currently, the Royal Fire Department consists of 24 members and the list continues to grow as younger men become involved. Some department members are shared with orchard fire department, as well.
"We have a great bunch of guys," Ober stated, as a big smile spread across his face.
The department holds fundraisers, like pancake feeds, a Texas Hold 'Em tournament and the annual ice fishing tournament held in January, ice permitting.
Although COVID-19 has thrown a wrench in several people's plans, the ice fishing tournament is still anticipated for 2021 as people can still fish socially distant.
The Royal Fire Department is proud of their new purchase, and members hope that after these past couple of months, it will be a while before they are forced to use it.
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