The Sanger (TX) Fire Department provides fire suppression, rescue, and emergency medical services (EMS) response to a 130-square-mile fire and EMS district in North Denton County, Texas, with 25 full-time and five part-time firefighters. The department runs a pumper, a pumper-tanker, two brush trucks, a rescue, and three advanced life support (ALS) ambulances out of one station. With the city of Sanger experiencing burgeoning growth, especially in multistory structures, the department decided it needed to add an aerial device to its fleet.

“Sanger is in the process of going through major growth in the area,” says Chief David Pennington. “Sanger has added multistory hotels, apartment complexes, and taxpayers where there are commercial businesses on the ground floor and apartments on the upper stories. We needed an aerial device that would give us good reach and be able to hit a four- or five-story building.”

Pennington says the department researched the various types of aerials available and decided that a platform would serve its needs better than a straight stick. “We have several warehouses and distribution centers of over a million square feet each, with lots of mechanical equipment on their roofs,” he points out. “Having an aerial with a platform is very helpful in putting our firefighters safely on a roof and bringing someone back in a Stokes basket on the platform.”

He adds that the department also thought that a midmount aerial platform would work best in fitting into the city’s narrow downtown streets, would have a lower cab height compared with a rear-mount aerial platform, and would allow for a greater scrub area because of its five-section aerial instead of a rear-mount’s four-section aerial. Pennington notes that after taking all those factors into consideration, Sanger Fire went to Smeal Fire Apparatus for a 100-foot midmount aerial platform quint.

Brian Cudaback, apparatus sales director for Metro Fire Apparatus Specialists Inc., who sold the rig to Sanger, says the Smeal HD100 aerial platform quint is built on a Spartan Gladiator extended medium four-door (EMFD) cab a

The Lingohocken (PA) Fire Company announced recently that it had purchased a 2014 Pierce Arrow XT PUC rescue-pumper from the Falls Township Fire Company No. 1.

“Over the past few years, our apparatus committee has worked hard to formulate an apparatus replacement plan, which included replacing Rescue 35, a 1997 E-ONE Cyclone,” the department said in a Facebook post. “In exploring a multitude of options, the committee identified an advantageous opportunity to purchase the current Rescue 30 from Falls Township Fire Company No. 1.”

After considering the prices and build times of a brand new custom-built fire apparatus, the company felt that this purchase was the best financial and logistical decision while simultaneously meeting its operational needs, and most importantly, the needs of the community it protects.

This new apparatus will provide many improved safety features and additional capabilities. For instance, the current Rescue 35 is not equipped with a pump or tank water. This new apparatus will maintain all the rescue capabilities of the department’s current truck, while also giving it fire suppression capability with its 750-gallon tank and 1,500-gallon-per-minute pump.

Lingohocken will take delivery November 1st with the goal of an early 2026 in-service date following paint, equipment mounting, driver training, etc.

“We would like to thank the community and local government leaders for your continued support of our organization,” the department said.

Falls Township Fire Company No. 1 had this to say about the rescue-pumper going to Lingohocken:

“In late 2019, the Falls Township Fire Company No. 1 purchased this rescue-pumper from our neighbors at Edgely Fire Company (Ten House). The truck has spent the last five and a half years serving the residents, businesses, and visitors of Falls Township and surrounding municipalities.

“We are thankful for the partnership with Lingohocken Fire Company, and look forward to seeing this piece of apparatus continue to serve another community.”

The post Fire Company Eschews New, Purchases 2014 Rescue-Pumper appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipme

In a recent episode of the Fire Apparatus and Emergency Equipment podcast, Chris Mc Loone sat down with Safe Fleet’s Director of Education and Technology, Jason Witmier, to discuss the educational resources Safe Fleet provides for the fire service. The program includes tools and programs designed to improve firefighter knowledge and operational safety.

The goal is education first—helping firefighters understand how nozzles, pumps, foam systems, lighting, and other apparatus components actually function in real fireground scenarios. Safe Fleet’s team, which includes about 15 specialists, travels nationwide conducting training that emphasize sound firefighting tactics and maintenance best practices. They offer objective, side-by-side comparisons with competitors’ products and willingly recommend alternatives if Safe Fleet’s gear doesn’t fit a department’s needs.

Two cornerstone resources within the Safe Fleet training platform are the “Brass Tacks Hard Facts” video series and rigrecon.com. Brass Tacks Hard Facts, launched in 2016 and now preparing its fourth season, covers a broad range of practical topics—from nozzle evaluation and hose loads to firefighting tactics and hydraulic ventilation. With over 100 episodes featuring highly respected fire service veterans and authors as instructors, the series serves as an accessible library of real-world knowledge. Firefighters can watch these short, focused videos during downtime and apply lessons directly to their operations.

Rig Recon targets apparatus maintenance and component selection. It offers unbiased product guides and comparison charts covering popular equipment options such as deck guns, valves, lighting, and electric vs. manual controls. Rig Recon also hosts troubleshooting and maintenance videos to empower firefighters to handle minor repairs and preventative care on their own, helping keep rigs in the field longer.

Safe Flee’s regional network of experienced fire service professionals engages directly with departments to deliver tailored education and product demos. Each regional specialist carries a truck equipped with a broad mix of Safe Fleet products. Whether it’s conducting a “Know Your Flow” class to measure actual hose and nozzle performance on-scene or arranging deep dives on foam system sizing, door maintenance, or lighting, Witmier says these regionals bridge the gap between classroom theory and real-world application.

The post Inside the Safe Fleet Education Platform appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

Apparatus Ideas Bob Vaccaro

Durham, North Carolina, was nicknamed the “Bull City” in the late 1800s when the Blackwell Tobacco Company named its product “Bull” Durham Tobacco. Durham is also famously known as the “City of Medicine,” with healthcare as a major industry, including more than 300 medical and health-related companies and medical practices.

Durham is home to several recognized educational institutions. Duke University and North Carolina Central University are central to Research Triangle Park, which encompasses 11 square miles with 2.37 million people and is devoted to research facilities. Durham itself has a population of 300,000.

Protecting all of this is the Durham (NC) Fire Department, a fully paid department with a staff of 400 firefighters. They operate out of 18 stations, with a 19th station opening sometime later this year. All frontline apparatus are manufactured by Sutphen and include 18 engines, four trucks, and one heavy rescue.

Captain Carl Hamlin, chairman of Durham’s apparatus committee, says that the department has had good luck with Sutphen through the years and stayed with the company for its fleet services division primarily. “They have commonality of parts and maintenance as well as making training for our firefighters a great deal easier,” he says. “No matter where a firefighter is stationed, he or she would be familiar with the vehicle’s operation.”

According to Hamlin, apparatus replacement is based on several factors, including miles, maintenance, parts, and general condition. Based on funding, the department tries to replace engines every 10 to 15 years and trucks every 15 to 20 years.

1 Durham’s Sutphen/SVI tandem axle walk-in rescue with two-door extended cab. (Photos courtesy of SVI Trucks.)

Recently, the apparatus committee decided to design and build a heavy rescue. “This new build was our first true heavy rescue,” says Hamlin. “Previously, four ladder trucks were used, so space was at a premium. They carried basic rescue tools only. A county fire department located on the southern edge of Durham merged with our city, and we gained a smaller rescue from them that we still use as a spare. Our chief back in 2018 came up with a basic rescue truck concept, and we began looking into designing a custom apparatus just for us and the special needs of our city.”

The department had a prebuild conference with Sutphen and SVI in 2022. “The new unit we designed would be able to carry more equipment, and it would make it more accessible for our firefighters,” says Hamlin. “We ordered the vehicle in 2023, and it took roughly a little over one year to build. In this day and age, we thought that was phenomenal.”

2 The rig’s Command Light light tower.

3 The body’s interior showing SCBA mounts and upper storage.

4 A large transverse compartment in the body with two slide-outs.

Sutphen/SVI Walk-in He