Saint Paul joins Los Angeles, California, and Vancouver, British Columbia in the purchase of the Rosenbauer RTX electric fire truck

Saint Paul, MN – On March 3, Saint Paul Mayor Carter and Fire Chief Inks announced that the Saint Paul Fire Department is embracing green energy to fight fires, becoming the first fire service in Minnesota to purchase an electric fire truck.

“We’re excited to be the first in the state to invest in this state-of-the-art fire truck,” said Mayor Carter. “It brings us all the critical green energy benefits of an electric vehicle, while meeting the high safety and efficiency standards we have for all our fire equipment.”

In 2020, Saint Paul Fire received demonstrations of the RTX from Rosenbauer, and again in January of 2023. Members of the department’s training division, apparatus selection committee, and vehicle maintenance personnel were impressed with the maneuverability, safety features, and functionality during these demonstrations.

“I was blown away by its overall performance and how quiet the rig is,” said Fire Chief Butch Inks. “Communication on fire scenes is important and can be extremely difficult, especially when six or seven loud diesel engines are operating in high idle.”

The investment in the RTX is in alignment with the City of Saint Paul Climate Action & Resilience Plan, which focuses on achieving carbon neutrality in city operations by 2030 and citywide by 2050. This work includes strategies to lessen the impacts of climate change through policy and regulatory actions the city can take to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to the changing climate, and improve quality of life in the city. In addition to furthering climate goals, this investment helps reduce diesel emissions and supports firefighters’ overall health and wellbeing.

“We take pride in our ability to identify and capitalize on opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality, and improve city services at the same time,” said Chief Resilience Officer Russ Stark. “Because emissions from larger vehicles are some of the hardest to tackle, this is a big milestone toward realizing our climate goals.”

Rosenbauer has started the build process on an RTX electric fire truck for Saint Paul, with delivery expected by 2025. Final assembly of the city’s and state’s first electric fire truck will be completed at Rosenbauer’s facility in Wyoming, Minnesota, with delivery expected to coincide with completion of a new Fire Station 7 on the city’s East Side.

“The Rosenbauer RTX is the fire truck of the future,” said Todd McBride, RTX Sales and Marketing Manager of Rosenbauer America. “With over 10 years of research and development, the RTX is built from the ground up using the most advanced materials and technologies. The RTX is the safest fire truck available – for firefighters, for communities and for the environment.”

The City of Saint Paul is submitting federal earmark funding requests to support the purchase of the state’s first electric fire engine.
For more information about Rosenbauer America, visit www.RosenbauerAmerica.com, Facebook, and Instagram.

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Following an outcry from residents worried about losing their properties, the Golden Valley City Council has decided to no longer consider building a new fire station in any spots that would require demolishing private homes, startribune.com reported.

The city at first looked at approximately 130 residential properties as possible sites for the new station, the report said.

• Golden Valley (MN) Might Buy Homes to Build New Fire Station

A fire official said she thinks the loud concerns from homeowners factored into the decision to move away from residential sites, according to the report.

The Golden Valley Fire Department has been looking to consolidate two outlying fire stations into one to serve the eastern side of the city, with enough space for modern equipment and room for firefighters to stay during overnight shifts, the report said.

None of the current three fire stations have bunk rooms, and there are other challenges with the current stations, such as having to back the fire trucks in every time they return.

The city council, the report said, has now narrowed its search to four possible sites, which include:

• Spring Gate Shopping Center at 5621 Duluth St. and 1875 Lilac Dr. N (Feist Automotive gas station).
• Basset Creek office and medical buildings at 5801 and 5851 Duluth St.
• Minnesota Department of Transportation’s west metro headquarters at 2055 Lilac Dr. N.
• The eastern baseball field at Schaper Park, at 631 Ottawa Ave.

The department, which has targeted 2025 to break ground, is hoping to secure $17 million for the project in a state bonding bill, according to the report. Of that amount, $4 million is allocated for land acquisition, which could turn out to be more depending on the site, the fire official said.

Thermal Imaging Manfred Kihn

Firefighters spend a lot of time training. This training is important to keep their skills honed for when they are called on during emergency situations and can include pump and aerial operations, donning and doffing of turnout gear, hose extending and pulling drills, ceiling breach exercises, forcible entry drills, and victim search techniques with victim drags and carries.

Most departments would consider these important for training, but how much time do fire departments devote to specific training with their thermal imagers (TIs)?

TI training shouldn’t just be observing fire behavior and how it looks on the TI’s display screen. It should also include ensuring that the TI is ready for use, image interpretation is understood by the firefighters, and the TI is deployed in all actual firefighting tasks. Some of the basics can be overlooked or taken for granted in training evolutions, but fire departments that ignore them risk that the TI is used ineffectively during emergency operations.

• Thermal Imaging Archives

Deploying the TI

Deploying the TI from an apparatus and attaching it to the personal protective equipment sounds like a very simple task, but when adrenaline is flowing and the action is furious, it can be mismanaged, costing precious time. Firefighters should practice removing the TI from their apparatus or directly from their apparatus charger, if they have one, while wearing the gear they would have on when departing the apparatus. Then, they can practice attaching the TI to their gear or self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). When attaching the TI to the gear, firefighters should find a place that keeps the TI within easy reach but does not interfere with performing basic tasks. Because one of the biggest obstacles to effective TI use is getting the tool to where it is needed, this deployment and attachment process should be a component of every department’s training procedure.

Operating the TI with Gloved Hands

Operating a TI with a gloved hand sounds easy but can be challenging during an emergency operation. Firefighters too often do this in nonemergency situations without wearing gloves and fail to realize the increased difficulty of using a TI in emergency operations. All TIs have buttons that need to be manipulated during different stages of emergency operations. Firefighters need to become familiar with where the power button is located and practice finding it with a gloved hand in the dark and while wearing an SCBA face piece. This helps firefighters learn to capably do this in a sight-denied situation when the unit has been inadvertently powered off or a battery needs to be changed. This training should be extended for all buttons on the TI so firefighters have a good familiarity with the buttons, their locations, and their functions.

Replacing the TI’s Battery

Replacing the battery on a TI can be a challenging task depending on the TI, the size of the battery, and where the spare battery is carried. This task is often practiced in a boardroom type setting with no gloves or gear, but firefighters should do this task with gloved hands in the dark while wearing a face piece to simulate completing this task in the dark or smoky conditions.

Live Training Burns

Firefighters often get the opportunity to participate in training burns. In these

E-ONE—Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department 95-foot extruded aluminum aerial ladder. Typhoon cab and chassis with 12-inch Vista roof and severe-duty interior; Cummins X15 605-hp engine; Akron Stream Master ll AVM monitor with two 2.5-inch discharges for standpipe operation; automatic leveling system for outriggers; shortened rear body to reduce tail swing. Dealer: Mark Julien, H&E Equipment, Phoenix, AZ.

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