The Milwaukee (Wis.) Fire Department has taken delivery of a matching pair of custom Pierce Arrow XT pumpers, making the state’s largest fire department an all-Pierce fleet.

The Milwaukee Fire Department’s apparatus fleet includes 45 Pierce pumpers, 21 aerial ladders, two aerial platforms, and four heavy-duty rescues, including one to be delivered this summer. Operating 36 fire stations, its protection responsibility includes 96.5 square miles and a population of more than 560,000.

“We have been able to make the changes to update our apparatus with new technologies like TAK-4 suspension for a smoother ride, enhanced braking ability and sharper cornering,” said Battalion Chief Dale Schwark of the agency's Division of Construction and Maintenance.

The Madison Fire Department, which provides service to the state's second largest city, has used only Pierce vehicles for several years. The department took delivery of a Pierce Quantum aerial platform in December.

The Madison F.D., which began purchasing Pierce apparatus in 1997, operates 13 fire stations with a fleet of 14 pumpers, seven aerial ladders, and two rescue vehicles. All are built on the Pierce Quantum chassis (with the exception of one rescue built on a Pierce Saber chassis). The department's newest apparatus is a Pierce Quantum 100-foot aerial platform, the first aerial platform for the city. The department serves a population of more than 250,000 and responds to almost 26,000 calls each year.