North-siders celebrate arrival of La Crosse’s newest fire truck

Fire truck dedicated to memory of local fire engineer

Kids living near Fire Station No. 4 in La Crosse got to wash the fire department’s newest truck on Saturday and push it into the Gillette Street station.

Mayor Tim Kabat and fire chief Ken Gilliam joined firefighters and north-side families at the dedication ceremony. 

The new “Engine 4” bears the name of Engineer Donald Asselin, who served 16 years with the LCFD until shortly before his death in 1997. 

Asselin was diagnosed with cancer, which may have been caused by exposure to smoke and hazardous substances in the line of his work. 

Chief Gilliam said new firefighting technology is designed to reduce hazardous materials which could lead to cancer.

The new truck is put into service as the city considers building new fire stations and encouraging more cooperation with fire crews in neighboring communities.