NEW LONDON, Mo. (WGEM) - A new addition to the New London Fire Department is promising a more reliable service.

“Every second counts, so anytime you can get in here and get out, the faster we can the better you’re gonna be,” said fire department safety officer Brian Reed.

In an emergency, there is no time to waste. That’s why the fire department got a new generator so they can operate more quickly.

Reed said their new 50 kilowatt generator has an automatic switch that will power their two buildings in under three minutes. Their old generator only powered their garage doors.

“[The] closest man can be here in about two to three minutes, so by the time they get here they can get access into the building without having to fumble through trying to do the multiple steps we had to do when we had a little generator,” Reed said. “It could only function one garage door at a time.”

The New London Fire Department got their new generator a few weeks ago after ordering it in January.

Reed said it can power their emergency operations center, which would have been helpful during last year’s storm in Perry.

“There’s been storms in the past where it’s knocked out power in New London for a while, so that way everybody has got somewhere they can go if something happens,” Reed said.

The Ralls County commissioners gave the department American Rescue Plan Act money to pay for the generator.

“It’s money that we are keeping in our community,” said Presiding Commissioner John Lake. “It’s not gonna leave here. And it’s gonna be something that’s gonna be used for years and years to come.”

Lake hopes it helps the community.

“It’s really gonna be a welcome sight here for all the people that live here, for all the people who live here in this community, especially in New London,” Lake said.

The generator cost $42,000 in ARPA money.

Reed said they want to expand one of their buildings to store more of their equipment. He plans to start construction in October.

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