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The decades-old dump truck Capital City Fire and Rescue has been using as a water tanker will finally be put out to pasture, Division Chief Richard Etheridge said following an announcement Friday of a $225,000 grant for its replacement.

"It's kind of a home-built thing from the '70s," that's neither ideal for the job nor particularly safe to drive because it's overweight for its size, Etheridge said.

Plus, it's been pushed well past it's life expectancy. Etheridge said the average life span for a fire vehicle is 20 years.

It's the department's only tanker, but fortunately hasn't been used widely of late. As municipal water service has expanded over the years, so has the prevalence of fire hydrants. Etheridge said there are only a few isolated places in the area where the tanker is a necessity, particularly out Thane Road. He recalled only two instances where it had been used in the last few years.

"It served Juneau well, but it's time to change, starting to get old," Etheridge said.

The grant requires a 10 percent local match. Etheridge said he doesn't anticipate needing to go to the Assembly for a special appropriation because the cost should be covered by rejiggering the department's budget.

The conditions on the grant give the department a year to buy the replacement tanker. Then, the dump truck can be donated or disposed of through municipal surplus sales, though it cannot be used as a fire apparatus. Etheridge suggested a possible future in gardening.

The grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency was part of about $500 million to be awarded across the country this year to fire departments and emergency medical service organizations. The fire fighting grant program is part of a national push to improve first responders' preparedness.

"These grants help to ensure the nation's firefighters have the basic tools and resources necessary to safely perform their responsibilities, and therefore ultimately save lives and continue to protect all residents from fire," said Greg Cade, administrator of the U.S. Fire Administration.