Councilors in Warren City, OH, approved a the purchase of a new fire truck on Wednesday and are hoping grant money will cover the cost, according to a report published by WFMJ 21.

The television station reported that city councilors would like to use American Rescue Plan funds to pay for the rescue engine with a price tag of $595,439, but they are not sure the expenditure is covered by the plan.

The new truck, if funding becomes available, will replace a 1992 model that was purchased new, the station reported, and will be equipped with extrication and water rescue equipment WFMJ reported.
The station reported the city already has the funds, but it doesn’t yet have the have the rules on how it may be spent.

Warren City officials have a goal of replacing three fire trucks soon as they said it was a matter of public safety to do so, the station reported.

Polaris Government and Defense continues to expand the vehicles, technology, training, support services and accessories available for fire and rescue agencies. In booth #5367 at FDIC International next week, this division of Polaris Inc. (NYSE: PII) is displaying a Polaris RANGER XP 1000 fire utility vehicle (UTV). Turn-key fire and rescue utility vehicles provided by Polaris Government and Defense can improve response time and extend reach without compromising mobility, budget or effectiveness.

“Every Fire Department should have a RANGER – it’s an absolute asset,” according to Pound Ridge Fire Department Assistant Chief Vincent Zafonte. While initially purchased for search and rescue operations, the versatility and flexibility of the vehicle has made it a go-to-option for several other jobs such as responding to power outages and storm damage calls throughout the community. Since its purchase, the Polaris RANGER has become one of the most used vehicles for the department, second only to the fire truck.

Polaris utility vehicles help improve response time and reach to locations – both urban and rural off-road – where cars, trucks or helicopters cannot operate. The Polaris RANGER was first introduced in 1998 and it has since become integral for fire and rescue departments across the country. And earlier this year, Polaris announced plans for an all-new full-size electric RANGER that will allow departments to incorporate more electric vehicles (EVs) into their fleets without sacrificing utility, performance or durability. Polaris also provides a fully-equipped Pro XD fire and rescue utility vehicle providing expanded payload, increased durability, added safety features and diesel options for departments. Polaris UTVs are also a budget-friendly alternative to full-size vehicles because they are less expensive to purchase, operate and maintain.

Additionally, Polaris is the only UTV manufacturer that provides these turn-key fire and rescue utility vehicles direct from the company fully set up for immediate use and under full limited warranty from Polaris. Polaris also offers customers the capability to support and maintain their own fleet of vehicles through maintenance and operator training courses. Polaris also can be contracted directly to provide the on-site service for the vehicles in addition to regular service, maintenance and warranty work provided through the Polaris dealer network.

“It’s like the RANGER was made for fighting fires – the added fire and rescue response package is flawless,” said Chief Jason Lermont, a fifth-generation fire chief at Harbor Beach Area Fire Department. “I’m glad the vehicle is intuitive – being able to jump in the RANGER and go, knowing all the tools are in hand, is crucial for reducing response time. It’s also what drew us to selecting the Polaris RANGER.” The Harbor Beach Area Fire Department used public safety grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to purchase the utility vehicle.

Polaris firefighting UTVs incorporate a professional system that is familiar, having been developed with years of firefig

By Alan M. Petrillo

Wake Forest (NC) Fire Department put together an apparatus committee to design the layout it wanted on a new tractor-drawn aerial (TDA) quint it wanted to purchase. The committee knew that it needed to have a large amount of compartment space for the various fire and rescue disciplines the rig was going to have to handle, as well as the ability to fight fire by having it carry a pump and a tank, making the truck what’s called a “quiller.”

Daryl Cash, Wake Forest’s services chief, says, “The apparatus committee put in a lot of time and effort on designing the layout of the trailer because we do fire, search and rescue, extrications, and Type 2 water rescues, and all those functions had to be accounted for on the quiller.” Cash notes that Wake Forest checked out five major manufacturers of TDAs, “and the one best-suited to the needs of Wake Forest was Spartan ER.”

Lance Dill, marketing and sales manager for Atlantic Coast Fire Trucks, who sold the quiller to Wake Forest, says the apparatus committee had a lot of good questions about the Spartan ER rig. “They wanted a truck they could use without restriction and like the design of the Spartan ER ladder,” Dill points out. “They also were concerned about getting the maximum amount of compartment storage space on the vehicle, as well as more than 300 feet of ground ladders, and for the rig to carry a pump and water tank, but still wanted to keep the truck as short as possible.”

To accommodate those preferences, Spartan ER put a volute style Waterous CXS 1,500-gallons-per-minute (gpm) pump on the quiller, and a 200-gallon polypropylene water tank instead of the typical 300-gallon tank on a TDA in order to keep the length shorter. “The 105-foot aerial ladder has a waterway and an Akron Brass StreamMaster™ II 1,500-gpm monitor at the tip,” Dill says.

Randy Hummer, aerial account manager for Spartan ER, says the Wake Forest quiller has 466 ½ cubic feet of compartment space, and 372 cubic feet of ground ladder storage that holds one 45-foot Bangor extension ladder, two 35-foot extension ladders, two 28-foot extension ladders, one 28-foot extension ladder, one 24-foot extension ladder, three 16-foot roof ladders, a 10-foot folding ladder, a 14-foot Fresno combination ladder, and a 17-foot Little Giant folding ladder, along with a 16-foot roof ladder on the aerial’s fly section.

“The quiller is built on a Sparta

Sutphen—Harris-Elmore Fire Department, Elmore, OH, pumper. Monarch cab and chassis; Cummins L9 380-hp engine; Hale Qmax-XS 1,500-gpm pump; Pro Poly 1,000-gallon polypropylene water tank; Will-Burt Night Scan NS 1.8 light tower; Smart Power 8-kW generator. Dealer: Andy Herb, Herb Fire Equipment, Powell, OH.

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