Blog by Pierce Manufacturing

When a fire department is in need of elevated firefighting and rescue capabilities, it may consider an aerial fire truck.

But there is one critical component to consider: does the department require a water pump and tank on the apparatus?

This blog will compare aerial apparatus with a pump and tank versus an aerial apparatus with no pump and no tank to help fire departments understand the capabilities of each.

Aerial with No Pump and No Tank

An aerial apparatus with no pump and no tank is a very traditional type of emergency vehicle common to the Northeast and East Coast regions. Traditionally referred to as a ‘truck company,’ a no pump, no tank aerial has a large complement of ground ladders.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) typically classifies an aerial with no pump and no tank as an “Aerial Fire Apparatus” as outlined in Chapter 8: Aerial Fire Apparatus, stating, “The apparatus shall be equipped with an aerial ladder, elevating platform, or water tower that meets the requirements of Chapter 19 (Aerial Devices).”

A fire department may be interested in a no pump no tank aerial based on several key factors:

• Tight areas where the apparatus and aerial device cannot reach. In historical communities and congested urban areas, fire trucks and even aerial devices cannot access certain areas. In these cases, a truck with aerial rescue capabilities and a large number of ground ladders is essential. Ground ladders are critical in firefighting operations and a truck with a large complement of ladders is a great addition to an existing fleet of vehicles.
• High storage requirements. If a fire department finds itself in need of both an aerial device and high storage capabilities, it may choose a no pump, no tank apparatus.
• Fleet requirements. Each department fleet

On Tuesday, Bend Fire & Rescue and the Deschutes Rural Fire Protection District No. 2 placed a new fire engine into service at Station 306, located at the base of Pilot Butte (425 NE 15^th Street), the department said in a media release. 

The community was invited to attend and participate in the traditional push-in celebration and ceremony.

Station 306 opened in 2019, but due to staffing limitations, the station has been staffed with only a medic unit and not a fire engine. Thanks to a partnership between the city of Bend, Rural Fire Protection District, and the community, Bend Fire & Rescue is now able to staff an engine at this fire station. 

“This is the first engine we have added to our operations to serve our community since the year 2000,” said Fire Chief Todd Riley. “We are excited to have an engine responding from the core of our city which

The Winston Creek Fire Station grand opening ceremony and the official swearing-in for the new Polk County Fire Rescue Chief will take place at 9 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023.

The ceremony will be held at 1140 North Galloway Road in Lakeland (FL).

Norfolk (MA) residents at a special town meeting Wednesday will vote on a proposed $25 million new fire station that has been planned for years, thesunchronicle.com reported.

The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the auditorium of King Philip Middle School on King Street; the fire station is the only business going before voters.

A special election is also slated for Jan. 28 for voters to decide on a tax hike overriding state tax-levy limiting law Proposition 2 1/2 to pay for the station, as well as fill a vacant select board seat, the report said.

If the project is approved by both town meeting and voters at the election, construction could begin in the spring with completion anticipated in fall 2024, according to the report.

A new station has been estimated to cost $25 million, a sum which would be offset by about $3.3 million left over from a 2016 appropriation for new police and fire stations, the report said. The fire station was never built because of cost overruns with the police station.

Plans call for the new fire station to be built on the Main Street site of the present fire station, which is outdated and undersized, according to the report. A new fire station building committee has been planning the project for nearly two years, and has held forums and tours of the fire station, which had also been the old police station.

For more information, visit www.norfolk.ma.us, where there is a detailed town meeting warrant article about the fire station project. Also, the building committee has a page on the town website with in-depth information, including answers to frequently asked questions, presentations, documents, about the current station, and meeting agendas and minutes.