ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- The Albemarle County Department of Fire Rescue’s new engine will serve Pantops and the surrounding areas. Pantops is the second busiest area throughout the county.

"It's really a health and safety issue, so we're really proud to have this new engine here," said Albemarle County Board of Supervisors member Bea LaPisto-Kirtley.

ACFR's new engine will be the first to run fire calls from Pantops station 16.

Ned Gallaway, the Chairman of the county Board of Supervisors, says getting this new truck didn't happen overnight.

"We've been on the road to making this a reality,” he said.

The engine cost $850,000 and was part of an 18-month project. Gallaway says it was funded through the Capital Improvement Project plan.

ACFR Chief Dan Eggleston says this will get firefighters on the scene faster. Its goal is to reduce firefighters' response time to calls.

"Before we would have units responding from outside the area, now they'll be here, embedded inside the area of Pantops," he said.

Eggleston says the department has also hired 22 new firefighters. He says it's a good start, but it's still looking for more.

"In fact, we're loading up a recruit school in January with ten new hires too," he added. "Those are going to graduate and be placed in North Garden area for daytime service."
 
Eggleston adds the new engine will better support Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital as well as local senior living facilities.

"Three factors really driving our need are the urbanization of our county, aging population, and the strain on our volunteer services. All of those components really drive the need to invest more in fire and EMS," Eggleston said.