Spencerport Volunteer Fire Department's new salvage-rescue truck is already in service.

A new salvage-rescue truck is helping firefighters and emergency medical technicians of the Spencerport Volunteer Fire Department save lives by responding faster at the scene of motor vehicle accidents -- getting victims out of the wreck and on the way to hospital.

"It’s such a big improvement for us," said Assistant Chief Dan Azzolina. "It’s really going to benefit the community. The faster we can remove someone from a vehicle, the faster we can get them to the hospital, the better the chance they’re going to have."

The $225,000, 2000 America La France Rescue-Salvage truck was purchased by the Ogden-Parma Fire District. "We’ve been planning for it for the last two years," said Azzolina. "We put it into service at the first of the year." By the third week of January it had already been to three accident scenes, he said.

The truck carries the "Jaws of Life" auto-extrication equipment and goes to all motor vehicle accidents and on all emergency medical calls. It carries the thermal imaging search and rescue camera, which helps firefighters find victims trapped inside a smoky, burning building. It also does light salvage work for residents, like pumping out basements.

Azzolina said one of the best new features is the light tower with six stadium lights mounted on the truck. "It makes it a lot safer at night to go to an accident scene," he said.

What really sets this truck apart and speeds response is the fact that all the equipment is immediately operational, according to Azzolina. He said in the past, crews would spend precious time at the scene of an accident or fire just hooking up equipment and tools. Now it is always ready to go.

The new truck replaces an old modified pick-up truck the department purchased eight years ago. "We’ve grown out of it and into this new one," which carries three more people and more tools, Azzolina said. "Everyone’s really been pleased with it," he said.