Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK) company, received an order for a Pierce® Ascendant™ 110-foot single rear axle quint aerial platform from the Town of Taber Fire Department located in south central Alberta, Canada. Built on a Pierce Enforcer™ chassis, the aerial platform delivers an industry-leading 110-foot vertical reach and a 90-foot horizontal reach. The vehicle will be delivered next summer.
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“The Pierce Ascendant 110-foot single rear axle aerial platform is one of the signature product offerings in our new Ascendant class of aerial apparatus, a group of innovative aerials that set the new industry benchmark for performance,” said Jim Johnson, president of Pierce Manufacturing. “The Ascendant class includes a wide range of ladder and platform configurations, and enables fire departments to achieve a longer reach on a more compact vehicle. That’s why fire departments of all sizes have quickly made the Pierce Ascendant the most popular new aerial apparatus in our company’s history.”
Steve Munshaw is Fire Chief of the Town of Taber Fire Department. “We have 186 buildings that require an elevated aerial water stream and, based on our search criteria, we knew it was going to be a challenge to find an apparatus that would fit the fire suppression and rescue needs of our community,” Chief Munshaw explained. “We evaluated a number of manufacturers and, while on a visit to Appleton, we were able to run the Ascendant aerial platform through its paces. We absolutely fell in love with it and it became our number one choice.”
The Pierce Ascendant 110-foot single rear axle aerial platform for the Town of Taber features a 450 hp engine, a Command Zone™ advanced electronics system, a four-door cab with seating for six firefighters, and Pierce’s PSV seats for the driver and officer. The vehicle also features a Pierce proprietary PUC 1500 gpm pump, a 500-gallon water tank, and a Husky® 3 single agent foam system.
The Ascendant aerial device achieves a remarkable 110-foot vertical reach and a 90-foot horizontal reach, and features tip load capacities of 750 lb. (dry) and 500 lb. (wet). The ergonomically designed, three-person basket is rated to carry 100 lbs. of additional equipment. A single monitor located at the fly section can flow up to 1250 gpm.
“We have 35 paid-on-call volunteer firefighters and only three full-time members, so one crucial criteria was finding a truck that required a less restrictive commercial driver’s license, yet delivered a long enough reach to support our community’s growing needs,” added Chief Munshaw. “Plus, Pierce’s product quality and dealer support, available through Commercial Emergency Equipment, were other very important factors.”
Pierce dealer, Commercial Emergency Equipment, offers a network of full-service locations. It is a division of Commercial Truck Equipment, Corporation, renowned for its professional engineers, designers, and certified heavy-duty mechanics, welders, and fabricators who are expert in a wide range of truck applications and integration solutions. “We are excited and honored to have the opportunity to work with Chief Munshaw, Deputy Chief Cote, and their team through this entire process,” said Mike Thomson, Customer Service Manager for Co