Wash. FD Standardizes Fire Fleet

The Redmond (Wash.) Fire Department has standardized its fleet with 100% Pierce apparatus after adding two Pierce Velocity pumpers and a 100-foot aerial platform into service, according to a release from Pierce Manufacturing.

Vehicle cost is just one of the factors in total cost of ownership, said Doug Jones, Redmond Fire Department’s fleet manager for the past decade, and someone who plays a significant role in vehicle purchases.

“Our protection area is similar to other suburban departments, but it presents some unique challenges, including the wildland urban interface issue,” said Mike Hilley, medical services administrator, health and safety officer, and head of its EMS Division. “The new Pierce Velocity engines will spend 90% of their time working the suburban neighborhoods, but they will also support wildland response throughout the county. The aerial platform will serve the city’s urban and commercial areas, including the Microsoft and Nintendo of America campuses.”

The Velocity pumpers each feature a big block DD13 500-hp engine, TAK-4 independent front suspension, Command Zone advanced electronics, and side roll and front impact protection systems. The vehicles offer seating for four firefighters (with a seatbelt monitoring system), a wide range of compartmentation for rescue tools and equipment, and an EMS cabinet inside the cab. Each vehicle’s firefighting system includes a 1500-gallon-per-minute (gpm) single-stage pump, a Husky 12 single agent foam system, and a 500-gallon water tank.

The Pierce 100-foot aerial platform, also built on the Velocity chassis, features the same big block DD13 500-hp engine, TAK-4 independent front suspension, Command Zone advanced electronics, and side roll and front impact protection systems. The aerial platform offers a 50 mph wind rating, a five-inch waterway and 2000-gpm monitor, a wide and roomy platform basket, a Lyfe bracket rescue tool system, and LED rung lighting. Also on board is a portable compressed air foam system (in place of a full pump and tank) for quick response to car fires or similar emergencies.

All three apparatus include idle reduction technology (IRT) to reduce engine emissions, prolong engine life, and improve air quality.

“At an emergency scene, IRT allows us to shut down the main engine unless we’re in pump mode,” Hilley explained. “We’ll be able to run all vehicle systems with the IRT system while a small generator charges the vehicle’s batteries.”