The East Lansing Fire Department recently purchased a $380,000 fire truck and department leaders say students, city residents and firefighters will all benefit from the investment.

Most of the money used to purchase the new truck came from a $270,000 federal grant awarded last year to East Lansing by the Department of Homeland Security.

The city paid more than $100,000, a deal that was part of the original grant proposal, Deputy Fire Chief Terry Lapinski said.

The fire department, located at 1700 Abbott Road, applied for the grant in 2003 to buy the updated engine and it received the truck about a week ago.

The money was provided to the department through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, which is a joint effort among the Homeland Security department, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Fire Administration.

"It's just taken forever to get it," Lt. Ken Lehto said. "The award was given to us last year."

The new truck has a water pumping system, called Compressed Air Foam, that mixes water, air and foam while inside the hose. When activated, the hose will expel the high-pressure mixture, possibly extinguishing the fire faster, Lehto said.

"This type of technology has been used many years in the forestry service," he said. "Within the last 10 years, it's been used for structured fire fighting."

A regular fire truck without the system cost roughly $250,000, Lehto said, adding the pump system itself costs about $46,000.

He said the new line will take less manpower than using a regular water pump, adding that maneuvering will be easier for fire fighting because the hose is half-filled with air and not full of heavy water.

Lehto said the department has been hindered while at building fires or campus activities by the current trucks, but said the new truck will erase some of the flaws in their routine.

Those trucks are still in use by the department.

For example, the old fire trucks only carry a total of four firefighters at a time, but the new truck has two additional seats.

"On days where there are student events on campus, we can carry more guys on that truck," Lehto said, adding that more rescuers out in the field gives more students the opportunity to be treated on the scene.

Lehto said the department often responds to house fires in student living areas. Because the new truck will have a top-mount water pump he said firefighters will have a 360-degree view of the scene that could result in more saves.

Firefighter Alan VanStempvoort said the pump's location is a plus for firefighters.

"It's on the top of the truck," he said. "Away from traffic."

Lehto said all the fire trucks the department previously owned have water pumps on the side, which requires firefighters to sometimes be in the way of traffic. He said firefighters do not have good visibility when on side-mount trucks.

But Deputy Fire Chief Scott Wyman said the top-mount pump could pose safety risks. The truck has a one-foot high step that firefighters will have to climb on to get to the pump.

"It adds another element to possible injury," Wyman said. "Especially if it gets wet in the winter."