Apparatus Ideas Bob Vaccaro
Located outside Cheyenne, Wyoming, the Laramie County Fire Authority covers 1,200 square miles in the northwest area of Cheyenne. The department is a combination department and operates with 10 full-time and 120 volunteer firefighters operating out of eight strategically located fire stations.
Laramie County’s response district is made up of mostly ranchland, prairie land, and mountainous areas, with national forests. The populated areas have a population of 100,000 and also contain the normal strip shopping centers, hotels, and an array of Microsoft Data Centers and other light industrial complexes. There are also several major highways located throughout the district.
Chief Jason Caughley states, “The department was looking to replace an older apparatus and also was in the process of building an additional new fire station. We began the process of looking at several manufacturers for the purchase of a new engine roughly two years ago. The fire district formed an apparatus committee comprised of the paid staff, some volunteers, and a division chief in charge of engineering. We try to go for a 20-year replacement program for all of our apparatus if possible.”
The department had a 2013 and a 2022 Rosenbauer that it was happy with. “Since we went with the Sourcewell program for the purchase, and Rosenbauer was part of their program, we basically could choose a manufacturer that we wanted, the delivery time was shortened compared to today’s standards, and price would be cheaper for the purchase,” says Caughley. “Plus not having to go out for bid also worked out well for us and saved a great deal of time.”
According to Caughley, the department wanted a vehicle that could be a “jack of all trades” because its response area is diverse. It went with a design that included a short wheelbase, pump-and-roll capability, and a higher horsepower engine and could traverse narrow gravel roads and drive up steep grades.
Caughley says, “Rosenbauer had this type of vehicle in their system already on the line being manufactured, which was great for us. This would greatly shorten delivery time, and our apparatus committee still had time to make some changes to the vehicle before it was completed after a factory inspection was performed.”
1 The Rosenbauer Timberwolf WUI unit for the Laramie County (WY) Fire Authority. (Photos courtesy of Rosenbauer America.)
2 Driver’s side compartments with crosslays, forcible entry tools, pony lengths of hose, a booster line, cones, and a toolbox.
3 Officer’s side showing saws, extrication equipment, rope bags, crosslay acess, a booster line, and miscellaneous tools.
4 The unit’s rear pump, a ladder for access to the hosebed, and a drawer for additional tools.
Additionally, IKON, the Rosenbauer dealer, is located about 40 minutes from the department, making it convenient for servic