The Napa Fire Department plans to use squad trucks for medical calls rather than larger fire engines to reduce wear and tear on its fire engines and extend the life of the pricier vehicles, according to Napa Valley Register.

The squad trucks will be able to get to a medical call faster than a fire engine, and 70% of the department's service calls are medical calls. Although less equipped than engines, firefighters using squad trucks will still have hand tools, air packs, extinguishers, and personal protective equipment in the event of a fire.

With the smaller trucks, the department can also afford to keep more people on duty. The minimum amount of firefighters on duty will be raised from 16 per day to 18 per day. Training will also easier, as the squad trucks are less complicated to operate than the fire engines.

The new squad trucks will be ready for use by October.