A brand new four-wheel drive Type 3 fire engine with a high clearance was on display Thursday at the North County Fire & Medical District in Sun City West.

Fire personnel and members of the board circled the shiny red engine that will be housed out of Station 104 which is located in the northern part of the fire district where there are rougher roads and undeveloped land with the potential for brush fires.

The Type 3 engine was purchased because of the area it will be used in.

“Sometimes there’s some bad roads and this has got a high clearance,” said Director Smitty Smith.

The engine holds 5,000 gallons of water and will also be available for use in wildland fires.

“If the the state wants to rent apparatus from fire districts or departments for wildland fighting, a Type 3 engine is the one that is in biggest demand.” said Mr. Smith.

Firefighters noticed that part of one of the pumper’s undercarriage had dropped off and was on the floor of the fire station, according to Chief Erik Kambarian

Two of the district’s pumpers were built in 1998, the third in 2009.

Kambarian said one of the pumpers was down for routine maintenance when firefighters discovered problems with a second truck.

“The guys came back from a call and saw it (part of the truck) on the station floor yesterday afternoon after returning from call on Mercury Drive,” he said.

They were able to determine that it was the pumper’s rear leaf spring.

“That’s where the water tank is, that’s where all the equipment is,” he noted.

He called Brighton Betsy Ann Fire Protection District Chief Jason Bowman.

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