Appleton, Wis. (Sept. 20, 2010) – Pierce Manufacturing, an Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK) company, has delivered a pair of Pierce® Arrow XT™ 100-foot aluminum aerial ladders to the City of Houston Fire Department in Houston, Tex. The vehicles represent the first ever Pierce aluminum aerials in the city of Houston. Martin Apparatus, Pierce’s dealer for the region, placed the vehicles into service earlier this month after equipment installation.
“The Houston Fire Department is one of the nation’s largest, and we’re elated to have Pierce heavy-duty aluminum ladders selected by such a noteworthy and respected department,” said Jim Johnson, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president, Fire & Emergency. “We engineered these aerials to set a new standard for performance and strength. This sale is a significant benchmark and a vote of confidence in our aluminum aerial line-up.”
The identically equipped, heavy-duty 100-foot aluminum ladders feature a 750-pound tip load capacity and are primarily designed for search and rescue, ventilation, salvage, and overhaul operations. The vehicles are engineered to maximize storage space to carry a wide range of equipment – including EMS gear, rescue equipment, a portable generator, ventilation tools, forced entry tools, power saws, salvage covers and a wide assortment of shovels, water vacs and more.
“The Houston Fire Department conducted extensive research before making this purchase and our firefighters had a great deal of input. Safety, space utilization, service and on going support were among the top priorities,” said Jack Williams, Assistant Fire Chief for the Houston Fire Department. “These are our first Pierce aluminum ladders, and we were impressed by their ability to manufacture vehicles that meet our requirements and, at the same time, deliver excellent value for the citizens of Houston. We look forward to having these Pierce apparatus on duty in Stations 28 and 68 on the south side of our metro area.”
The aerial ladders are custom-built to meet the unique needs of the Houston Fire Department. Each is built on the Pierce® Arrow XT™ chassis with a 500 hp engine, side roll protection, tandem rear axle, Command Zone® advanced electronics and a 69,500 lb GVW rating. The vehicles also feature a radio equipment cabinet inside the cab, full height and full depth compartments with adjustable shelves and roll-up doors, slide out trays and toolboards, four pedestal mounted LED floodlights, an electric cable reel, stokes basket, LyfePulley rescue system, storage for 10 air bottles, and a total of six roof ladders ranging from 16 to 35 feet.
The vehicles were purchased through the Houston Galveston Area Council (H-GAC), a region- wide voluntary association of local governments that provides, among its many services, cooperative purchasing programs that promote the safety and welfare of the citizens in a 13-county Gulf Coast Planning region of Texas.
The Houston Fire Department is the fourth largest in the country with 90 fire stations, 3,984 classified members and 257 civilian employees. The department serves a population of more than 2 million in an area spanning 617 square miles.
About Pierce Manufacturing
Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation [NYSE: OSK] company, is the leading North American manufacturer of custom fire apparatus. Products include custom and commercial pumpers, aerials, rescue trucks, wildland trucks, minipumpers, elliptical tankers, and homeland security apparatus. In addition, Pierce designs its own foam systems and was the first company to introduce frontal airbags and the Side Roll Protection system to fire apparatus. To learn more about Pierce, visit www.piercemfg.com
About Oshkosh Corporation
Oshkosh Corporation is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of a broad range of specialty access equipment, commercial, fire & emergency and military vehicles and vehicle bodies. Oshkosh Corporation manufactures, distributes and services products under the brands of Oshkosh®, JLG®, Pierce®, McNeilus®, Medtec®, Jerr-Dan®, Oshkosh Specialty Vehicles, Frontline™, SMIT™, CON-E-CO®, London® and IMT®. Oshkosh products are valued worldwide in businesses where high quality, superior performance, rugged reliability and long-term value are paramount. For more information, visit www.oshkoshcorporation.com.
