The Swansea Fire Department rolled out its brand-new fire engine Sunday morning, touting reliability and efficiency improvements over its current vehicles.
The new truck sports, among many improvements, more hose connections, better pumping equipment, and the ability to carry more equipment than the vehicle it will replace.
“Technology keeps getting better and better and better,” Fire Chief Peter Burke said, “so the technology in this truck is worlds above what we had before.”
Burke said that the new vehicle cost $550,000, but is expected to last 25 to 30 years, as its predecessor did. The department will keep the previous truck – a 1980 model – in reserve.
The truck should be ready to start heading out on calls in about two weeks, after firefighters train on it.