Antioch Volunteer Fire Department recently took delivery of a brand new 2009 Pierce Contender fire truck. Just seven years after financial problems caused a shakeup of the department's leadership, the department was able to put a sizable portion of cash down on the new purchase and officials say years of fiscal prudence have paid big dividends for the department and the community it serves. A new fire truck is a source of pride for any fire department.

But the shiny new truck parked inside the Antioch Volunteer Fire Department might possibly invoke more than pride among the department's members as such a purchase wouldn't have been possible just a few years ago.

Perhaps the 2009 Pierce Contender might serve as an exclamation point for a department that set out to perform a complete turnaround and accomplished its goal.

Just seven years ago, the volunteer fire department found itself trying to recover from financial turmoil and a forced shakeup of its leadership.

Its new leadership started 2002 with only about six members and $500 in the bank, current Chief Glenn Gregory recalls. It was $20,000 behind on loan payments and its insurance hadn't been paid in a year and a half, he said.

And that wasn't all they had to contend with.

"We had no air packs or turnout gear that met OSHA requirements," he said. "The building was basically falling apart and the (old) trucks were in bad shape."

On July 1, by contrast, the department took delivery of a 2009 fire truck just a few days removed from the assembly line and it immediately took its place among two other gleaming tankers and pumpers in the department's bays.

It put $40,000 cash down on its new 2009 Pierce Contender, which had a sticker price of $176,319. A bank didn't balk one bit when the fire department, which today has about 30 members, sought a loan for the remainder.

While every department can always improve, and always needs a new piece of equipment or two, Gregory and others at the department can't help but be pleased with just how far the department has come, and how much help they've received along the way.

"It's a team effort," agreed Larry Larkin, chairman of the board of fire commissioners that has overseen the department's finances since 2002.

Besides the board and the firefighters, Gregory also credits the department's secretary, Dee Ann Larkin, who dots every "i" and crosses every "t" on the voluminous paperwork needed for a fire department to operate.

"There are no words that can express my gratefulness for her volunteer work," the chief said. "Without her, we would not be where we are today."

Then there are the businesses, like Patterson's Wrecker Service and Carolina Collision, that answer the fire department's call whenever it needs assistance.

Then there are the residents of the district, he added, who willingly allowed themselves to be taxed so the fire department could find a more sound financial footing. An 8-mill tax rate in the fire district accounts for roughly two thirds of the department's budget.

And then there are the spouses and family members, Gregory said, who put up with volunteers spending so much time away from home. He thanks his wife, Darlene, in particular.

While some wounds from the pre-2002 days at the department were deep, officials believe almost every one is now healed.

When the board of fire commissioners was established to oversee the department's finances in 2002, Larkin said it first concentrated on establishing "checks and balances" in all financial aspects. None of the fire commissioners, for instance, could be officers in the volunteer department. Every check, no matter how small, had to be signed by two of the commissioners.

Moreover, Larkin said, the department instituted the same budgetary processes that any normal business would use.

"We set a budget annually and live by that budget so we know where every penny goes, and it is to the penny," he said.

And while the process didn't happen overnight, major federal grants allowed the department to purchase and replace a lot of equipment through the years. A 2005 Federal Emergency Management Agency grant allowed the department to buy a new tanker truck, a 2004 grant allowed it to purchase $55,000 in new turnout gear, air packs, hoses and pagers, and another $35,000 grant allowed the department to buy hydraulic extrication gear.

Fiscal prudence, a steady source of tax revenue and major grants all have paid big dividends over the past seven years, members say.

Last year, for instance, Larkin said FEMA graded the Antioch Volunteer Fire Department in the upper 60th percentile out of all fire departments in the country based on factors like its equipment, trucks, gear and communications.

And while the new truck was sorely needed to replace a 39-year-old truck that's since been retired, Larkin said the new truck will likely come with an added benefit for Antioch residents because they might see lower property insurance rates, which are based, in part, on fire protection.

With the new Pierce Contender in the fire department's fleet, Antioch firefighters can now transport 4,250 gallons of water to any location in the fire district.

One of the old wounds from the pre-2002 days, a disputed $150,000 loan taken out by a former fire department head, recently resulted in a lawsuit against the fire department for lack of payment and the threat that some of its older trucks and tax revenue could be seized as collateral.

That lawsuit is now over. It was officially dismissed by agreement of all parties, according to paperwork filed recently in the Cherokee County Court of Common Pleas. Gregory said the fire department caught up on payments and that the resolution would have no impact on the department's budget going forward.