A relatively new firetruck suffered significant damage in a collision Wednesday in Little Rock and it will likely be out of commission for several months, officials said Thursday.
Little Rock Fire Department Capt. Randy Hickmon said Engine 15 was proceeding through the intersection of Chenal Parkway and Bowman Road with its lights and sirens on en route to a medical call shortly after 5:45 p.m. when a sport utility vehicle hit its side.
No firefighters were injured, but one person in the SUV was treated on the scene for injuries not believed to be serious, Hickmon said.
The engine, or pump, was hit in a panel that regulates water flow, and it will have to be trucked back to the factory for repairs that Hickmon estimated may take some 5 months.
The Fire Department last week unveiled $3.9 million worth of new rescue equipment, including six new firetrucks.
The damaged one was not among the newest additions, but it was fairly new, having been added about a year ago, Hickmon said.
"We've got reserves, though, and we've got the new pumps in," he said. "So it's not like that company will be out of service."