CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT REFURBISHING ENGINES

Another Cape Girardeau Fire Department fire engine is getting a new coat of paint as part of the department's program to change over the color scheme of its fleet of fire engines and emergency equipment.

The latest to receive the new white-over-red paint scheme is a 1972 model American La France Engine 13 pumper fire truck at Fire Station No. 1. On Sunday firefighters began stripping all lights, chrome and other accessories from the fire engine in preparation for sandblasting later this week to remove the old paint.

Fire Chief Gene Hindman said Engine 13 will be repainted in the city's maintenance garage. "The paint is really in bad condition, and it's also starting to rust in a few places," he said. "But you have to remember, this fire engine is over 20 years old. We're going to have to hold on to it for at least another four to five years, so its worth repainting."

The chief said the paint on some parts of Engine 13 is badly chipped because of prolonged exposure to extreme cold. "After we'd get back in the firehouse, I could stand beside it and hear the paint cracking on the cold metal surface," he said. "This isn't the only fire engine that has this paint chipping problem; we've got two others, but we're not at the point yet of having to repaint them to stop the rust."

Hindman said Engine 13 will be out of service for about two weeks while it's being painted. In its place the chief has moved Engine 3 from Fire Station 3 to Station 1 to respond to fire calls.

Engine 13 will be the second fire engine to be repainted locally at a savings of several thousand dollars to the taxpayers, Hindman said. In 1990 the fire department repainted its 1978 Warner Swassey fire engine from lime green to the new white-over-red colors. "The white-over-red paint scheme reflects a growing trend in fire departments all over the country," Hindman said.

The fire department's 110-foot aerial platform ladder was painted at the factory with the white-over-red scheme at Hindman's request. The department's new pumper fire truck that will be delivered in October will also be decked out in the red and white colors.

Hindman said other firefighting equipment will be repainted in the new colors on an as-needed basis. "We're not going to repaint a vehicle just to change colors," he said. "If our budget will allow us to continue our fire engine replacement program, each new fire engine we order from now on will come with the red and white colors."

The chief said the next fire engine in line for a new coat of paint will be the department's service truck, ST-1, which is now painted lime green. "We're not planning to repaint Rescue 1 (also lime green) because it is due to be replaced in a few years," he said.

In addition to the new paint scheme, Hindman said all of the fire department's vehicles have been refitted with state-of-the-art emergency lighting to make them more visible to motorists.