Local firefighters just got some good news as well as a new ally to help put out upcoming blazes.
The city of Vallejo and the Vallejo Fire Department announced this week the addition of two fire engines to the Vallejo Fire Department’s fleet. The two new engines are “Spartan Metro Stars” built by Spartan Motors, capable of pumping 1,500 gallons of water per minute. These new engines are currently in service and live at fire stations 21 and 25.
Vallejo Fire Department Public Information Officer Aaron Klauber told the Times-Herald on Friday that the department was due to get the much-needed help.
“One apparatus.(fire truck) we’ve had is from 2003. That’s 17 years and usually, they only last 10 to 15 years,” Klauber said. “As you know, the conditions of the streets in the city can be unkind and the apparatus can get beat up over time. So we’re absolutely thrilled with this new equipment. We were in dire need of it and who doesn’t love a new fire engine? It will be well represented in the city and will be professional and clean.”
Kevin Brown with Vallejo Fire Department agreed with Klauber in a news release.
“As with many fire departments across the country, the city of Vallejo’s Fire Department has been operating with an aging fleet of fire engines,” Brown said in a statement. “An engine’s lifespan is typically 10 to 15 years in service; then, these engines are cycled out and replaced with newer, more modern vehicles. Since the city’s bankruptcy back in 2008, there has been a delay in many large equipment purchases, including fire engines. This fiscal setback delayed the fire department’s typical replacement cycle by three to five years.”
Brown said the aging engines had become unreliable and costly for the department to maintain. The new engines will benefit the community by improving response times to emergencies. Klauber said the new engines will have a few new features.
“The engines are pretty much the same, but they have a shorter wheelbase that will be good for dealing with the many hills in Vallejo and other districts,” Klauber said. “There are also some new reel lines that will greatly help.”
The new engines will be a great boost to an area that has seen its share of big blazes during the last decade. Seven of the state’s biggest blazes of all time have come since 2015, according to CAL FIRE.
2018’s Camp Fire in Butte County is currently the most destructive wildfire in California history based on the number of structures destroyed. Approximately 18,000 structures were lost, most of them homes. The Tubbs Fire, which took place during 2018 in Napa and Sonoma counties is the second deadliest as it destroyed 5,636 structures while burning 36, 807 acres and causing 22 deaths.
The Vallejo City Council committed funding for the purchase of these two engines two years ago, according to a news release. An engine built specifically for a fire department can take anywhere from nine to 18 months to make.
These vehicles are Type 1 fire engines, equipped with water, hose and a variety of tools. These vehicles are designed to fight ground-level fires and respond to a variety of other types of emergencies. They are also paramedic outfitted vehicles, which means that these engines carry the necessary medical equipment to perform life-saving procedures on patients when needed.
The engines meet the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) standards, which “defines the requirements for new automotive fire apparatus designed to be used under emergency conditions to transport personnel and equipment and to support the suppression of fires and alleviation of other hazardous situations,” according to the release.
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