West Barnstable Fire District seeks to replace aging fire engine Barbara Clark If a fire engine can be said to have a personality – if it can absorb experiences into a life history of its own – then the West Barnstable Fire Department’s ET-296 fire engine has a lot of tales to tell. The classic 1985 Pierce Engine-Tanker "has a storied history,” said WB Fire Chief Joseph Maruca. More of that history no-doubt will surface at the fire district's annual meeting Wednesday (April 28), when the ask is $650,000 in funding to replace the aging classic vehicle. The engine-tanker’s more than 30-year-old design no longer meets National Fire Protection Association safety standards, which now require enclosed seating, shoulder belts and airbags, Maruca said. The heavy-duty vehicle also contains two now-prohibited exterior jump seats, and lacks shoulder restraints, traction control and anti-lock brakes. Plus, its manufacturer no long supports maintaining some of the truck’s systems.