Waterloo Fire Department Adds 1996 Freightliner Engine

The volunteer department bought the used truck for $27,000 to replace a 1984 Hahn model at Station 3.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Trucks

Red fire engine with chrome ladder rack parked in an open concrete fire station bay with brick walls and daylight from the doorway. — The volunteer Waterloo Fire Department bought a used 1996 Freightliner fire engine for $27,000 to replace a 1984 Hahn truck at Station 3. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The Waterloo volunteer fire department purchased a 1996 Freightliner fire engine for $27,000, which replaces a 1984 Hahn model at Station 3. The truck was found on Facebook Marketplace and driven back to Waterloo after a trip to New York.

Why it matters

The purchase replaces an aging engine at a time when fire trucks are becoming harder to find, and the department needed a vehicle that met its operational needs. The new truck is expected to bring quicker response times to scenes across the department's coverage area.

The 1996 Freightliner has 23,000 miles, a 1,000-gallon water tank and a pump that disperses 1,250 gallons of water per minute. It keeps the department at 10 vehicles across its three stations, which have 40 active volunteer firefighters covering 110 square miles.

The players

Nick Kavich

Nick Kavich is a member of the Waterloo volunteer fire department who flew to New York and drove the Freightliner back to Waterloo.

The details

The department found the truck on Facebook Marketplace and contacted the seller at a fire department in Long Island, New York. Nick Kavich flew to New York and drove the truck back to Waterloo last week, and minimal work was needed after arrival, including servicing and repairing the pump at Station 2.

53 years ago: The department was founded and obtained its first truck through a relative in New York.
Last week: Nick Kavich flew to New York and drove the truck back to Waterloo.
Saturday: Final touchups are scheduled to make the truck fully ready for service.

Roadmap

Volunteer fire departments increasingly rely on used apparatus as the supply of affordable trucks shrinks. The Waterloo purchase reflects a broader pattern of small departments searching out-of-state listings to keep aging fleets in service.

For Waterloo residents, the new engine should mean quicker arrival at emergency scenes across the department's 110 square miles. The purchase also shows that smaller departments can acquire capable apparatus at a fraction of the cost of new equipment.

The takeaway

A used apparatus purchased out of state can fill a real operational gap when local options are scarce. Residents who support volunteer departments can watch for new equipment as stations bring trucks into service.