BOSTON, March 24, 2011 – The Boston Fire Department and Navistar Engine Group have entered into an agreement that certifies Boston FD as an auxiliary fleet service provider that will perform in-house maintenance of Navistar’s MaxxForce® brand diesel engines. As Boston this year begins a transition to the cleanest generation of diesel engines to power its fleet of fire and emergency apparatus, the ability to do in-house engine warranty work will enable the department to increase fleet uptime, raise productivity and reduce costs.
Boston’s newer emergency rescue apparatus will be powered by diesel engines that meet the EPA’s strict new emissions standards. The move follows other city efforts in pursuit of Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s vision of “turning ‘Beantown’ into ‘Greentown’” by embracing technologies that will decrease pollution and raise the quality of living.
“Mayor Menino is committed to making Boston a ‘green’ city,” said Boston Fire Commissioner Roderick Fraser. “So wherever possible and practical, we are embracing environmentally friendly technology, but we also wanted clean diesel power that made sound financial sense.”
Unlike other diesel engines for emergency rescue apparatus, MaxxForce engines employ non-liquid-urea emissions technology that reduces nitrogen oxides and particulate matter in-cylinder without increasing operational and maintenance burdens on the department’s driver-operators. As important, though, was the ability to service the new engines in-house.
“By doing our own warranty work, the trucks will never leave the city and we can quickly get them back on the streets where they belong, protecting the citizens,” said Shawn Herlihy, Boston FD director of transportation.
Currently, Boston employs 13 full-time technicians, with truck and engine service available at all times – 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The staff, certified through the National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) and Emergency Vehicle Technician Certification Program (EVT), will receive MaxxForce diesel training and tooling from Minuteman Trucks Inc., an International® Trucks dealer in Walpole, Mass.
MaxxForce brand engines use Navistar’s advanced in-cylinder emissions technology, which provides fire departments with significant “no hassle” operational advantages over liquid-urea SCR emissions aftertreatment systems used by other diesel engine OEMs. These advantages include no additional wheelbase length to accommodate additional tanks, no secondary operating fluid (liquid urea) to add, no additional driver training, and ease of maintenance.
“Boston’s driver-operators are required to perform a series of daily maintenance checks and the shorter that list, the more he or she can accomplish and the less training they need to undergo,” said Brian Sullivan, North American on-highway sales manager, Navistar Engine Group. “Operators have enough to think about to keep the apparatus working properly and safely, without having the added step of checking and filling additional fluid tanks.”
MaxxForce engines from Navistar command nearly 60 percent of the U.S. commercial fire and rescue vehicle market, powering International® brand commercial chassis and vehicles. Long known as “International” brand engines, these leading diesels were rebranded “MaxxForce” in 2006. Despite the name change, the respected and trusted platforms and base technologies remain the same. Now, these engines are available to manufacturers and buyers of custom fire apparatus.
The Boston Fire Department is the oldest professional fire department in the United States and has been serving the people of Boston for more than 328 years. Today, its 1,600 uniformed, fire alarm and civilian personnel serve 574,000 residents living within an area of 47 square miles. More information can be found at www.cityofboston.gov/fire/.
Navistar Engine Group, an operating unit of Navistar Inc., produces diesel engines for consumer and commercial automotive and industrial markets around the world. Its global MaxxForce® brand of engines offers models for a wide range of applications and for all global emissions standards. For more information, visit www.MaxxForce.com/fire-engines.
