May 18, 2010 Appleton, Wis. – Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK) Company and North America's leading fire and rescue apparatus manufacturer, today announced it has sold three Pierce Ultimate Configuration (PUC) fire trucks to the City of Pearl Fire Department in Pearl, Miss. These are the first ever Pierce fire trucks purchased by the department, and represent PUC sales #450, #451 and #452. The vehicles will be placed into service in November 2010.
"In three short years, sales of Pierce Ultimate Configuration vehicles have surpassed 450 – and, to date, more than 30 departments have purchased multiple PUCs. To those of us at Pierce, this is a vote of confidence and the ultimate compliment,” said Wilson Jones, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president, Fire & Emergency. "It's especially gratifying to welcome a new customer – the City of Pearl Fire Department – to the Pierce family.”
The PUC is an industry-changing multi-purpose response vehicle that is engineered to eliminate the need for a bulky pumphouse. With a wheelbase as short as 172-inches for improved maneuverability, the PUC also provides up to 500 cubic-feet of storage. The PUC is available on all Pierce custom chassis in side and top mount configurations, as well as on aerial ladders, aerial platforms, pumper/tankers, PUC rescues and custom Contender® vehicles.
"The call volume in Pearl has more than tripled due to the community's tremendous growth, and we need fire trucks that offer improved safety, more room for firefighters, excellent reliability and maximum equipment storage space – as we handle fire, EMS, hazmat, and a wide range of technical and water rescue operations,” said Carl Kibby, Fire Chief for the City of Pearl, Miss. “Our department spent more than seven months researching Pierce and the PUC configuration because we take being stewards of our community's resources very seriously. After visiting the Pierce plant in Appleton, we were very impressed. We loved the product, but were equally impressed by the facilities, the people we met and Pierce's attention to detail.”
The three Pearl, Miss. PUC pumpers are built on Pierce® Velocity® custom chassis. Each pumper features a 500 hp engine, TAK-4® independent suspension, 1500-gpm single stage pump, 750-gallon water tank, Husky® 12 foam system, two (2) low mount crosslays and an electric monitor with wireless remote control. The vehicles also feature a 10-inch raised roof cab, all LED lighting, room for five firefighters, EMS cabinet inside the cab, hydraulic rescue reels, full-height and full-depth compartments, slide-out and tilt-down storage shelves and a slide out tool board. Safety technology includes custom designed PS6® seats with dual seat belt retractors, seat belt pretensioners and hands-free SCBA holders, front airbags, and the side roll protection system with integral side curtain air bags.
Pearl, Miss. is a progressive, fast growing community that is the largest city in Rankin County, and is located near the intersection of Interstates 20 and 55. The department serves a response area that encompasses 30 square miles and features four fire stations, 46 firefighters and seven staff personnel.
The local Pierce dealer, Pro-Fire Equipment of Olive Branch, Miss. provides service and support to the City of Pearl Fire Department. “The capabilities of Pro-Fire helped make this the right decision for both our department and our community," added Chief Kibby.
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.
Photo Caption: Since its introduction in 2007, Pierce Manufacturing has sold 452 Pierce Ultimate Configuration (PUC) apparatus.
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®. The Oshkosh brands are valued worldwide in businesses where high quality, superior performance, rugged reliability and long-term value are paramount.
For more information, log on to www.oshkoshcorporation.com.
