The Nichols Volunteer Fire Department (NVFD) will soon make a big change to its fleet of fire-fighting vehicles. After receiving a $75,000.00 grant from the Edward and Joseph Ryan Memorial Trust, the NVFD will purchase a 2018 3,000 gallon pumper tanker from Alexis Fire Equipment in Alexis, Illinois. The truck will replace the department’s current 1971 tanker and give the department a more versatile vehicle for fighting fires. Fire Chief Kevin Flynn says that getting the money for the tanker presented no easy task for the NVFD. For many years, the department applied for federal grants to replace their tanker, but because the federal government has limited funds, its grants always went to larger districts where the fire department would serve a greater number of people. This did not stop Flynn from continuing to look for ways to find money for a new truck. “The folks that live in my district are just as important as people living in Muscatine or Burlington and deserve good equipment,” he said.