RICHFIELD, Ohio (WJW) — Five months after the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, a company in Richfield is helping the village’s fire department in a very big way.

Sensible Products is currently outfitting a new $2.1 million fire truck with state-of-the-art equipment for East Palestine.

The company’s owner Phil McLean is a retired fire chief and veteran firefighter who says he is proud to be part of the project because the people of East Palestine have been through so much.

“Yeah, they really have,” said McLean. “And when you’ve been through a bunch of these incidents it’s good to help folks out like that.” 

The company manufactures tool mounting brackets and systems for fire trucks and emergency vehicles shipped around the world.

He says this truck is equipped with a 100-foot Pierce Ladder that is mid-mounted and can go both above and below grade with a Stokes Rescue Basket.

It also has a 2,000 gallon pump and can hold 300 gallons of water among other features.

The truck is special, once it is completed Friday it is headed to Columbus for the Ohio Fire Chiefs Conference and then will be put into service in East Palestine by the end of July.

FOX 8 reached out to Norfolk Southern and they confirmed that they are “reimbursing East Palestine for the necessary fire truck.” 

Phil and everyone with the family-run business hope East Palestine never faces another catastrophe like what happened last February but feel confident they’ll be better prepared with the new truck.

“It’s just great to help them out,” said McLean.