Pacific Northwest fire departments have ordered their first electric fire trucks, nwnewsnetwork.org reported.

Portland (OR) Fire and Rescue is scheduled to take delivery next month of the first electric fire engine in the Northwest, the report said. Last week, the Redmond (WA) City Council approved an order for an electric fire truck too, which will be the first in Washington state when delivered in two years, according to the report.

A Portland fire official acknowledged there is some trepidation in the fire service about the incoming battery-powered pumper truck given the high stakes in the profession and short track record of the electric apparatus, the report said.

The builder, Wisconsin-based Pierce Manufacturing, addressed the reliability issue head-on in its marketing materials.

“Pierce electric fire trucks offer the same reliability and functionality as all traditional apparatus,” the manufacturer said on its website. “Electric fire trucks are designed to maintain the high level of operational standards firefighters demand with no compromises.”

The Redmond City Council voted unanimously without debate Feb. 7 to approve the $2.3 million purchase, the report said. The city council briefing materials noted that a nearly $600,000 diesel emissions reduction grant from the state Department of Ecology will defray some of the costs, the report said. The fire department said it also secured donations from various corporations to offset more of the cost and believed it could get additional outside funds before the rig was delivered, according to the report.

Portland Fire and Rescue said it received a discounted price on its initial electric rig as part of a launch customer deal in which Portland will gather performance data to improve Pierce’s future production, according to the report. 

The Los Angeles Fire Department put an electric fire truck from Rosenbauer into service last year. The first production model electric fire truck from Pierce entered service with the Madison (WI) Fire Department in 2021. Charlotte (NC), and Toronto, Canada, have ordered electric pumpers from REV Group. 

The Village of Pelham Manor posted this news release Feb. 15:

“We are excited to announce our new fire truck has arrived! Department members will be trained on the apparatus through a “train the trainer” approach. Chief (Michael) Greco recently returned from Wisconsin where he performed a final inspection of the rig.

“This investment supports our continued dedication to provide high level public safety services for our residents, under our capital framework. As a reminder, the Village purchased this equipment without bonding.

“At Monday’s Board meeting, the Village authorized the sale of our 2004 Seagrave pumper truck to a municipality in New Hampshire for $65,000. Our colleagues in NH are traveling to Pelham Manor to pick up the truck, saving Pelham Manor any related transportation costs.”

The western communities of Ahwatukee will have a fully operating city fire station closer to homes within the next two years, ahwatukee.com reported.

The station’s construction will be on city-owned land on the northwest corner of 19th Avenue and Chandler Boulevard, the report said.

The Ahwatukee facility is the only fire station included in the 2023-24 capital budget, according to the report.

The new $12 million Fire Station 74 will have three bays and its 12,000 to 13,000 square feet will house a fire engine and a medical rescue vehicle, the report said.

The Tecumseh City Council recently approved the purchase of new firefighter helmets, fire boots, and firefighting gloves for the city’s fire department, wlen.com reported.

The nearly $17,000 purchase is the last of a five-year Personal Protective Gear Replacement Program through Tecumseh’s Capital Improvement Program, the report said.

The department will receive 15 helmets, 21 pairs of fire boots, and 21 pairs of firefighting gloves, according to the report.