The West Thurston, WA, Regional Fire Authority took delivery of a new fire engine that has been assigned to the Rochester firehouse on Albany Street SW.
The 2016 engine was manufactured by Spartan Emergency Vehicles in Brandon, SD, with additional work performed by the dealer True North in Hillsboro, OR. The entire process from the establishment of a specification, selection of a builder, ordering and build time took nearly 14 months. The new engine uses a custom chassis built by Spartan and features a 500-gallon water tank and a Hale DSD water pump that can produce up to 1,250 gallons of water per minute. Additional features on the apparatus include an electric inverter system that allows for 120-volt power on the scene without needing a generator.
The goal of this apparatus was for it to be a rural-suburban style fire engine that can provide fire suppression in the residential and commercial settings. Firefighter ergonomics was also considered in the design of the apparatus with the hose bed storage being very low for ease in accessing fire hose. It also has a hydraulic rack that lowers ground ladders from an overhead storage location to a low level access when needed.
What is most notable in this engine as opposed to others is the overall length of that unit. At just under 28 feet, long it is slightly shorter than most other fire engines, but was specifically designed to provide protection to properties that are down narrow and winding driveways which can be found of many of our more rural areas.
The design team for this apparatus included representatives from both career and volunteer firefighter crews who gave crucial input on what we envision to be a template for future builds. This new engine replaces a 22-year-old fire engine that will now be used in a reserve status. We are proud of the quality of the construction of the unit by manufacturer which is readily visible in the details of the welds and construction practices. Spartan has been manufacturing fire apparatus for 105 years.
