A new fire truck will be on display at the McNeill Volunteer Fire Department Saturday.

Chief Donny Leonard said the truck will be picked up by department members Friday, and will feature a larger water capacity and ability to deploy the jaws of life faster than previous trucks.

The $300,000 fire engine is capable of carrying 1,000 gallons of water, compared to the previous truck the department recently sold to make room. Leonard said the old truck was capable of carrying 300 gallons.

“We’ll get a whole lot more use of it than the small rescue truck,” Leonard said.

Currently the truck is at Deep South Fire Trucks being outfitted with the proper equipment and connections for the jaws of life. Leonard said the jaws of life will be preconnected in the new truck, saving valuable time while responding to vehicle accidents. Previously, volunteers with the department had to connect that equipment during each call.

To pay for the new truck, Leonard said a combination of funds raised during previous events, fire insurance rebates and upcoming fundraising events will be used.

This new truck will give the department a total of five vehicles, including two engines, one tanker and two brush trucks. The brush trucks were homemade, since they take more punishment traveling off-road to respond to woods fires.

With the addition of this new truck, Leonard said the department can begin planning the construction of another station in the northern part of the fire district. He said that the department’s recent rating of 7 means lower fire insurance premiums. By building another department within the district, he can ensure more homeowners receive that discount and better service from the department.

Leonard said he’d like to thank the community for their support along with Todd’s Collision Center and Ashe’s Tire for their help in keeping the departmental trucks on the road at minimal expense.