Hamilton Township Fire Department took delivery of the newest addition of fire apparatus on Thursday, April 18, 2019.
A 2019 Dependable truck on a Spartan chassis will be stationed at the Baltimore Firehall just off County Road 45.
“It will carry our extrication tools and will serve when we get calls to Highway 401,” said Fire Chief Kelly Serson.
The firetruck also carries 1,000 Imperial gallons of water which is traditionally more water than a pumper usually carries.
With a price tag of just under $610,000, Serson said combining a fire truck as a pumper and rescue truck essentially replaces two trucks.
“So we’re scaling down our fleet and becoming more efficient with the trucks that we buy.”
The lifespan of new addition is 20-years as a front line fire apparatus.
The cab carries five firefighters, four of those sit in seats with breathing apparatus capabilities. There is also medical compartments in the cab and on top of the truck is a monitor capable of projecting large amounts of water on a structure fire,
With a number of emergency vehicles being hit on roadways, Hamilton Township upgraded the lighting package to be more visible.
“When we spoke with the folks at Federal Signal they indicated studies have shown the new LED lighting, as bright as it is, for some reason has been known to contribute to some accidents,” said Serson.
“We’ve got high speed rotating LED lights on the back that will hopefully catch the visibility along with the reflective striping on the back should give motorists ample warning.”
Traditionally ladders and some equipment is stored on the outside of fire apparatus, but it’s now common for ladders and other equipment to be stored out inside compartments.
“It’s mostly so it doesn’t fall off, because it’s not unheard of that items do fall off fire trucks.”
“But it’s also a maintenance issue, with everything inside it keeps it clean which helps in adverse weather conditions.”
Hamilton Township Mayor Bill Cane was on hand to get a first hand look at the new apparatus as it pulled into the station for the first time.
“It’s absolutely amazing,” said Cane who was a Hamilton Township firefighter for 42-years retiring as Station Chief.
“The way they organize the space so the equipment fits inside a secure space. The days of the bungee cords are gone,” said Cane with a smile.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
