PFD’s new fire truck in
PRESCOTT – Christmas came early for the Prescott Fire Department as its new truck arrived on Dec. 13 and was put in service on Dec. 15.
It took the better part of a year to get the new truck, a 2006 model Pierce, but the truck has arrived and is a welcome addition to the department.
Fire Chief Joe Heath said this truck is a rescue pumper, as it carries rescue and extrication equipment and is also a pumper truck with a 750-gallon tank. It also has a separate 50-gallon tank for foam. In fact, he said, the truck has everything needed for first response situations and will be able to assist the Nevada County Ambulance Service when necessary.
The cab of the truck can seat six firefighters, and the seats also contain the self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). In fact, the SCBA acts as a seat belt for the firemen while en route to a fire or other emergency, and come away as the firemen exit the vehicle, allowing them to mask up and start fighting the fire or dealing with whatever the emergency is quicker. The air packs hold 4,500 pounds of air which will allow the firemen to fight fires longer without having to recharge or replace their packs.
The truck also has a 25-foot light tower which rotates 360 degrees and will come in handy for night fires, wrecks or other emergency situations.
Fire Captain David Gummeson said the truck also has a 10,000-watt built-in generator and outlet plugs for the emergency equipment.
The truck was purchased from the East Texas Fire Department, a suburb of Houston. It was a backup vehicle for the ETFD and seldom used except to replenish water for other trucks. The engine has 8,238 hours on it, which is virtually nothing for a firetruck. Originally, this truck cost $648,000, Gummeson said, but was purchased by the PFD for $148,000. It will be the fourth truck the PFD has in its fleet.
It also has another feature the firemen like – hydraulic lifts for the cab. The cab can be lifted hydraulically to expose the engine so it can be worked on and maintained. The cabs on the older trucks have to be manually lifted to reach the engine. In addition, the new truck has a fire hose housed in its front bumper, giving the firefighters one more tool to work with when fighting fires.
Another feature this truck has is a side-life rack for the ladders, again making it easier for the firemen to remove ladders and get to fires quicker. It also has a walk way between the cab and tank, which has controls for pretty much everything but driving the vehicle.
Heath and Gummeson said the PFD crews are working to learn the new truck so they can be prepared and comfortable using it when called out to fight fires. Heath plans on putting an American flag on the truck later one. The truck has decals on each side of the cab honoring the firemen with the New York Fire Department who gave their lives on 9/11/01.