JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Unison Bank has partnered with Jamestown Rural Fire Department to help fund the purchase of a new $700,000 pumper truck to replace its current 1986 pumper truck.

“As a business member and community member of the Jamestown area, we appreciate the hard work and dedication that the JRFD, and its team of volunteers, invests in the 22 townships they serve,” said Unison Bank President & CEO, Kelly Rachel. At Unison Bank, we are proud of our community bank heritage, said Rachel. We find it important to give back and help develop the communities we are in.

Unison Bank recently donated $10,000 to the JRFD so that they are one step closer to making the $140,000 down payment for the truck. As of December 30th, 2022, JRFD has raised $103,284 towards this goal.

“We are extremely grateful for this donation towards our new fire apparatus. We do a significant amount of fundraising annually to help support the fire district to keep all our firefighting equipment up to date,” shared, JRFD Chief, Brian Paulson. “To have a community-minded business such as Unison Bank to step up and help us with this is awesome!”

JRFD secured a zero percent interest loan through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Economic Development Loan Program which will fund 80 percent of the new pumper truck. JRFD is responsible for paying the other 20 percent down.

JRFD Chief, Brian Paulson, shared that the new customized pumper truck is expected to be delivered from Custom Fire Apparatus in Osceola, Wisc., within the third quarter of 2023.

The new truck will provide 1,500-gallon-per-minute power take-off, 30-gallon firefighting foam capabilities, will carry 2,300 gallons of water and seat six firefighters. The automatic- transmission truck will allow JRFD to sell the dated truck and potentially help upgrade a surrounding fire district.