Horry County Fire Rescue in South Carolina has updated its fleet with nine Pierce fire apparatus as part of a fleet standardization effort. The purchase, made through the FireRescue GPO purchasing cooperative, includes eight Enforcer pumpers and one Ascendant aerial ladder, according to Pierce Manufacturing.

The eight Pierce Enforcer engines each feature seating for five firefighters and full height compartments with ladder storage through the body. The upper portion of the vehicles’ passenger side compartments can be converted from standard rescue equipment compartments to portable drop tank storage, a versatility that enables urban and rural applications. Each vehicle’s firefighting system includes a 1500-GPM single-stage pump, a Husky 3 single agent foam system, a 1,000-gallon water tank, and a 22-inch front bumper extension containing 150 feet of 1.75-inch hose.

The Ascendant single rear axle aerial ladder delivers 107-foot vertical reach and 100-foot horizontal reach with a below grade operation of -10 degrees. Its 100-foot horizontal reach is 32 feet greater than a typical single rear axle aerial, according to Pierce.

“We really like the new Ascendant – with its single rear axle, it can maneuver into areas where a tandem axle simply can’t go due to size and weight restrictions, and that’s going to be a game changer for our firefighters,” said Joey Tanner, fire chief for Horry County Fire Rescue. “We’re used to having 75-footers in our fleet, and now we’ll have an extra 32 feet of reach for a similar investment.”

Horry County encompasses more than 1,134 square miles, with a wide range of both rural and urban communities. The vehicles will be delivered in 2017.