BRANDON (SD) – (September 30, 2022) –  Spartan Emergency Response, comprised of several subsidiaries of REV Group, Inc., and a leading manufacturer of fire apparatus, will host the 26^th Annual Fire Truck Training Conference (FTTC) Oct. 2-7 at The Lansing Center in Lansing, MI.

FTTC is the largest and most in-depth combined training symposium and testing event in the nation, attracting over 300 first responder driver-operators, technicians, equipment manufacturers, dealers, service center representatives and more from across the U.S., Canada, Latin America, and Asia. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn directly from the manufacturer, to test to certify or re-certify on EVT standards, and network with fellow technicians and driver-operators.

Spartan Emergency Response’s 26-year history of hosting this event reflects the company’s commitment to provide first responders with the safest, most effective fire apparatus possible, and to empower them with the skills and knowledge to keep their fleets well maintained and in service. This year marks the return of the popular event, which was cancelled the last two years due to COVID. 

FTTC provides multiple training tracks with 45 individual courses over five-days that spans repairs of brake systems, pumps, valves, roll-up doors, and more. Attendees of the training seminars can meet with component suppliers one-on-one to address specific troubleshooting issues and learn the latest maintenance techniques.

“FTTC demonstrates Spartan’s commitment to the first responder community,” said Mike Virnig, Vice President of Sales, REV Fire Group. “We’re proud to build the finest fire apparatus on the road, but equally gratified to know we’re doing our part to educate and share best practices that enhance the safety and wellbeing of the individuals we ask to protect our communities.”

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About Spartan Emergency Response

Spartan Emergency Response, comprised of REV Group subsidiaries Spartan Fire, LLC, Smeal SFA, LLC, Smeal LTC, LLC and Smeal Holding, LLC, is a North American leader in the emergency response market and offers brands including Spartan Authorized Parts, Spartan Factory Service Centers, Spartan Fire Chassis, Smeal, and Ladder Tower. Spartan Emergency Response vehicles are well known for safety, quality, durability, aftermarket product support, and first-to-market innovation. The company operates facilities in Michigan, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Nebraska.

About REV Group, Inc.

REV Group^® companies are leading designers and manufacturers of specialty vehicles and related aftermarket parts and services, which serve a diversified customer base, primarily in the United States, through three segments: Fire & Emergency, Commercial, and Recreation. They provide customized vehicle solutions for applications, including essential needs for public services (ambulances, fire apparatus, school buses, and transit buses), commercial infrastructure (terminal trucks and industrial sweepers), and consumer leisure (recreational vehicles). REV Group’s diverse portfolio is made up of well-established principal vehicle brands, including many of the most recognizable names within their industry. Several of REV Group’s brands pioneered their specialty vehicle product categories and date back more than 50 years. REV Group trades on the NYSE under the symbol REVG. Investors-REVG

Since 1978, East Taylor Volunteer Fire Company has relied on the same modified pickup truck to battle brush fires and other blazes, a fire official said, TribDem.com reported.

Such trucks are designed and equipped to allow responders to get to fire scenes faster than larger apparatus, and to start fighting flames as soon as possible. But after 44 years, the company’s truck can’t match up to modern models, according to the report.

That will change though, even if it won’t be immediate.

The fire department was one of seven across the 13th Congressional District notified that federal funding is flowing in to replace antiquated apparatus and gear, the report said.

East Taylor is receiving more than $261,000 to add a new mini-pumper Quick Attack truck, while nearby Cover Hill received funds to purchase new gear to protect them on scene, the report said.

A new model will enable crews to carry more gear, valuable lighting for nighttime emergencies and bolster the truck’s pumping force to 750 gallons per minute, according to the report.

Toyne—Wayne Township (NJ) Fire Company No. 2 POL aerial platform quint. Spartan Gladiator LFD with 10-inch raised roof cab and chassis; Cummins X 600-hp engine; Hale Qmax 2,000-gpm pump; 100-foot rear-mount aerial platform; dual Akron electric monitors; UPF Poly 400-gallon water tank; Onan 7.5-kW generator; AL-ll aerial information system. Dealer: Toyne Inc., Breda, IA.

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The city of Carlsbad is moving forward with plans to address gaps in fire protection, by adding crews and a seventh fire station west of I-5, CBS8.com reported.

The temporary Fire Station 7 will sit at the old Encina Power Plant site, on Carlsbad Boulevard, just north of Cannon Road, the report said.

In 2021, a ‘Standards of Cover’ evaluation found the department was behind on some response times and needed more apparatus and crews. According to this video from the city, the Department’s goal is to get to a fire within 7.5 minutes from the first call.

So far, the city is planning to spend about just under $2 million to build the temporary station, the report said. The city hopes to start construction next month and be operational by January 2023.

In the meantime, voters will have to approve construction on a permanent Fire Station 7 in the future.

The Mount Vernon Volunteer Fire Department will be breaking ground on a new fire station in early October, MitchellRepublic.com reported.

According to a fire official, the new building, estimated to cost $750,000, is a long time coming, the report said.

After a decade and a half of collecting taxes, donations and throwing fundraiser after fundraiser, exciting new things are planned for the Mount Vernon Volunteer Fire Department, the report said.

The 24-person crew of volunteer firefighters has spent its funding on necessary equipment like bunker gear, lockers and, recently, scrounging up funding for the lifesaving “jaws of life” saw, used to pry victims of car crashes from out of their vehicles, according to the report.

Even fire trucks have been adapted from regular trucks into fire trucks, with huge metal water tanks fused onto them. Some trucks even turn multi-purposed in the winter, when volunteers load medical supplies into them due to the fire station’s close proximity to Interstate 90 and the amount of crashes that occur, the report said.

Years of patience and hard work have paid off for the crew, however, and the new station is set to break ground in early October and will feature the original, red welded-metal sign and large garage doors on the corner for easy access, the report said.