Medical Lake department looks to replace fire truck

Finding people to drive a clutch-operated vehicle is a challenge

PAUL DELANEY, Staff Reporter | Last updated May 03, 2018 9:8am0

Paul Delaney count

Medical Lake's wildland fires "brush truck" looks nice on the outside (top), but it's what's inside, the need to use a clutch, that has Fire Chief Jason Mayfield wanting to replace the 25-year-old vehicle.

count

For a truck that's a quarter-century old, Medical Lake's wildland fire fighting rig looks pretty dang good, in vehicle-years.

And that might have residents wondering why Fire Chief Jason Mayfield is seeking to surplus the vehicle.

Simply put it's primarily a matter of safety. The 1993 Chevrolet operates with the use of one of those ancient devices known as a clutch in order to help shift gears.

Today's younger firefighters drive gas-conscious smaller cars with automatic transmissions. Learning to drive a clutch is doable but driving it in places other than the street presents issues.

"We get t...