Not everyone loves driving a fire truck.
Most of the Lebanon Fire Department’s firefighters know how, but six of them excel at it and recently aced training to earn a new rank for the department - that of engineer.
The department retired the chauffeur rank decades ago and resurrected it as an engineer with a new name and a new role Jan. 1.
Engineers don’t just drive, and they don’t fight fires the same way others do.
Engineers carry other firefighters to emergencies, maneuvering trucks around obstacles, and they stay with their trucks to provide tools, water and support firefighters need to rescue people, save buildings, and avoid injury.
After intense training, the new engineers know how many pounds of water pressure per square inch each hose size will tolerate. And they do the math in their head when they change hoses. There is no cheat sheet taped to the pump.