Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK) company, announced today the City of San Jose Fire Department in California has placed an order for one Pierce Ascendant® 107’ Heavy-Duty Tiller Aerial Ladder on an Arrow XT™ chassis and three Enforcer™ Pumpers. Sold through Pierce dealer, Golden State Fire Apparatus, the San Jose Fire Department’s new fire apparatus will include PACCAR MX-13 big block engines.

PACCAR MX-13 engines are built in Mississippi exclusively for PACCAR-owned Kenworth Truck Company and Peterbilt Motors Company. With the 2021 PACCAR MX Engine model year, PACCAR and Pierce began an exclusive venture to offer the MX-13 engine to the fire industry. The MX-13 engine is known for its innovation and reliability in heavy-duty applications throughout the country and it undergoes one-million-mile endurance testing to validate high mileage durability.

“The Golden State Fire Apparatus team shared a lot of helpful information about how the PACCAR engine is well used in the commercial industry and we had the opportunity to operate a Pierce engine equipped with the PACCAR motor,” said Joseph Crivello, Battalion Chief for the San Jose Fire Department. “We had experienced fire engineers operate the vehicle, and they were impressed with the performance in all areas of our coverage from downtown urban areas to the East Foothills. The lighter weight motor is a big factor, and its size integrates well with the chassis, allowing for a more spacious and maneuverable captain’s space in the cab.”

San Jose Fire Department’s new fire apparatus will feature:

Ascendant 107’ Heavy-Duty Tiller Aerial Ladder

• Arrow XT chassis
• PACCAR MX-13 big block engine
• Allison transmission
• 6 KW Harrison generator
• TAK-4® Independent Suspension
• Hendrickson Air Ride suspension on the drive axles
• Side roll and frontal impact protection

Pierce Enforcer Pumpers

• Enforcer chassis
• PACCAR MX-13 big block engine
• 500-gallon water tank
• Waterous 1500 gpm two-stage pump
• TAK-4 Independent Suspension
• Covered hose bed and 68-inch high crosslay
• Hose reel
• Carcinogen Awareness and Reduction to Exposure (CARE™) cab customization, including vinyl seats and metal floor

Chief Crivello added, “The maneuverability and capabilities of the Pierce Ascendant 107’ Tiller are amazing, and we look forward to replacing an older 100’ tiller with this essential upgrade as there are numerous high rises under construction in our downtown areas. Additionally, one new engine is a fleet add which will go to a new fire station, station 37, opening in early 2022 to support population increases and system coverage improvements.”

The San Jose Fire Department serves 1.2 million residents, and responds to over 91,000 service calls per year out of 33 fire stations. San Jose is the third most populous city in California (after Los Angeles and San Diego) and the tenth most populous in the United States. The department is the emergency service provider for an international airport, seven major hospitals, a professional sports arena, 108 high-rise structures, and more.

“We were given unique challenges to address, including the San Jose Fire Department’s need for fire apparatus which has a high angle of approach and departure,” said David Klockzien, Sales Manager for Golden State Fire Apparatus. “I’m confident the department’s new Pierce fire apparatus will exceed performance expectations, and our Golden State team appreciates the department’s continued trust and confid

A fire apparatus for the Kentland (MD) Volunteer Fire Department in Prince George’s County, Maryland, caught fire yesterday morning while en route to a call.

According to a report from the PIO, Kentland Tower 833 was responding to a call when the driver noticed a fire in the engine compartment. The driver stopped the rig at Ritchie Marlboro Rd and Hampton Park Drive, where firefighters managed to escape the vehicle before fire extended into cabin area.

The fire was extinguished and Tower 833 has been towed to the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department Apparatus Maintenance yard for inspection.

Photos and video from Kempter’s Fire Wire and Andrew Doyle posted to social media showed the truck on fire.

A 25-year-old man was arrested for breaking into the Fairview (PA) Fire & Rescue fire station and stealing fire department equipment and firefighters’ personal items while the were on a medical call, according to a report published by Erie Times-News.

The report said Gage T. Adams of West Springfield allegedly entered the station through a malfunctioning door while emergency personnel were on an ambulance call, the newspaper reported, noting that the suspect tried several doors before making entry. Fire officials told the newspaper that the department had no idea the door was broken before the break-in.

Department officials spread word of the burglary on Facebook, posting images of the suspect captured by security cameras installed at the station, the report said. State police said that effort worked as Adams was allegedly identified by a photo posted on the social media site. Police told the newspaper that a relative of the suspect also identified him as the person captured by the security cameras.

The cameras allegedly caught the suspect searching through cabinets and removing items from fire trucks, the newspaper reported, adding that the items taking included a flashlight and an ice pack belonging to the fire department, as well as items belonging to individual members, including a junior member’s earbuds.

After his arrest, Adams was placed in the Erie County Prison, held on a $75,000 bond and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Nov. 23.

Polk  County (FL) Fire Rescue has committed to building 17 fire station, at a cost of $4 million each, over the next several years as a way to reduce the risk of cancer for firefighters, according to a report published by WFTS ABC Action News.

The new fire stations will be designed to separate firefighters from carcinogens to which they may have exposure, according to the television report.

The first of the stations was opened in Kathleen in October and is divided into red, yellow and green zones, each signifying the possible risk of carcinogen exposure, the report said.

The new station also has a workout weight room in the green zone to give firefighters a place to exercise in a green-zone area, the report said, noting that the average firefighter spends up to 33 percent of their lives in the fire station.