The Municipality of Cumberland is continuing to make investments in its fire service.
The Tidnish Bridge Volunteer Fire Department recently took delivery of a 2024 Ford F550, four-door, 4-wheel drive rescue vehicle that will enhance the department’s ability to respond to emergency calls in its coverage area along the Northumberland Strait.
]“It means a lot to our department. We’re replacing a 49-year-old rescue truck that was the first truck purchased by the department back in 1976,” chief Mike Coffin said. “It gives us more capability and more reliability.”
Coun. Anthony Fromm turns the keys for a 2024 Ford F550 rescue vehicle to Chief Mike Coffin and members of the Tidnish Bridge Fire Department. Darrell Cole – Municipality of Cumberland photo
Coffin said the vehicle will have multiple uses including carrying the department’s forestry gear for fighting woodland fires and be the primary response vehicle out of the sub-station in Linden.
“It’s four-wheel drive, which our old one isn’t,” he said. “That gives us a lot more capabilities in bad weather and getting us into some back roads and remote areas.”
Coffin said the Tidnish area along the shore is continuing to grow with more residents choosing to stay in the summer cottages year-round.
District 2 Coun. Anthony Fromm said the rescue vehicle is a welcome addition.
“It’s great to see smaller fire departments getting access to new equipment they so desperately need,” Fromm said. “The county is working very hard to replace old equipment. The county has purchased six new trucks in the last two and a half years and three more are coming.”
Parrsboro is set to receive a new light rescue truck, similar to Tidnish’s, in January 2026, Pugwash is scheduled to receive a new pumper truck in the summer of 2026 and Springhill will be receiving a new pumper tanker truck in April 2027.
The total cost of these three vehicles is just under $2 million.
Chief Mike Coffin said the vehicle will have multiple uses including carrying the department’s forestry gear for fighting woodland fires and be the primary response vehicle out of the sub-station in Linden. Darrell Cole – Municipality of Cumberland photo
Mayor Rod Gilroy, who used to represent the area as a district councillor, said this investment is the latest example in the municipality’s commitment to enhancing and modernizing its fire departments.
“It’s something we’ve talked about a long time and its been on our radar for many years,” Gilroy said. “We’ve replaced a 1976 truck with a brand new unit and it looks great.
“They’re a great group of volunteers and a fantastic department. They’re out their working in the community and are the first line of defence not only for fighting fires but for medical first responding and other things in that north shore area. They wear many hats and it’s great to be able to support them.”
With more people living along the shore between Tidnish and Port Howe, Gilroy said, this new unit will be able to get down cottage roads more effectively.
Earlier this year, in late January, the municipality delivered a new fire truck to the Wallace Fire Department while it also opened a new fire station in Springhill and continued its investment in self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), communications equipment, hose testing gear and gear washers, helmets, boots and other personal protective equipment.
The municipality undertook an extensive review of the fire service a couple of years ago through a consulting firm that generated a 1,000-page report with more than 200 recommendations.
That report highlighted the aging equipment in most of the fire departments as well as a number of other shortcomings such as training and availability of new recruits.
The sixteen fire departments operated by the municipality are: Advocate, River Hebert, Joggins, FPW, Parrsboro, Southampton, Springhill, Collingwood, Truemanville, Tidnish, Shinimicas, Leicester, Pugwash, Wallace, Wentworth and Westchester.
Tidnish Bridge Fire Department firefighters check out the new rescue vehicle. Darrell Cole - Municipality of Cumberland
Mayor Rod Gilroy said the investment is the latest example in the municipality’s commitment to enhancing and modernizing its fire departments. Darrell Cole - Municipality of Cumberland
The new rescue vehicle replaces this 1976 vehicle, which incidentally was the first fire vehicle purchased by the Tidnish Bridge Fire Department. Darrell Cole - Municipality of Cumberland