Local veterans and active military personnel are invited to participate in a traditional “push-back” ceremony on Friday, March 4 to place the truck in service.

Saint Peters, MO. Feb 28, 2022 — With construction underway for three new fire trucks purchased by Central County Fire & Rescue (CCFR) over a year ago, a last minute idea to paint one of the fire trucks with an American flag design resulted in a unique fire truck that is something never before created. CCFR will place the “American Veteran Fire Truck” in service with a traditional “push-back” ceremony on Friday, March 4.

Saint Peters is the former home of Marine Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz, who was killed in action on August 26, 2021 as the result of an enemy attack while supporting non-combatant evacuation operations in Kabul, Afghanistan during Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. It was during the services to honor Lance Corporal Schmitz’ life and his ultimate sacrifice that the idea to dedicate a truck in his honor was first born. Initially referred to as “the flag truck,” the original idea of painting the truck with an American flag design grew to incorporate multiple elements of military service and sacrifice, including the POW-MIA theme and the emblems for every military branch.

“Our entire community was in shock and mourning the death of a local hero, and we knew we wanted to do something to honor him,” says Jason Meinershagen, CCFR Deputy Chief and Public Information Officer. “Our fire district is very supportive of our veterans, so we quickly knew it was not enough to dedicate a fire truck to just one man, as tragic as his death was. We wanted to do something that touched the heart of every patriot in our community,” says Meinershagen.

The push-back ceremony is a tradition dating back to the early days of firefighting when horses could not easily back the equipment into the station, so they were disconnected from the fire equipment and firefighters would push the equipment back into the bay. In today’s fire service, it is used to pay homage to that tradition when placing a new apparatus in service for the first time by pushing the truck back into the station.

Last December, on the 80th anniversary of the attacks on Pearl Harbor in 1941, CCFR firefighters presented a letter of appreciation to over 280 employees at the manufacturing plant who had a part in the design, construction, and painting of the fire truck. In part, the letter read, “Our mission here at CCFR is ‘Working Together, Supporting Our Community,’ and we know of no greater or more honorable way to support our community than to support the veterans who live among us. Whether they served in wartime or in peacetime, on American soil or in distant lands, every American veteran deserves the respect and appreciation of a grateful nation, regardless of political or religious affiliation. The American Veteran Fire Truck you have designed and built is a testament to the pride we have in our nation and the love we share for the veterans who have given so much.”

CCFR is inviting local dignitaries, veterans, active military personnel, and the media to join them in the push-back ceremony that will officially commemorate the American Veteran Fire Truck and place it into active service. The push-back ceremony will begin at 2:00 P.M. on Friday, March 4, 2022 at CCFR firehouse #5, 3421 Harry S. Truman Blvd, St. Charles, MO.

“Every fire truck tells a story, and this one certainly stands out,” says Meinershagen. “This truck is a rolling tribute to every American who has the distinguished honor of calling themselves an American veteran, and we are proud to present this fire truck to our community, where it will continue to live out its story for many years.”

The residents and taxpayers of CCFR’s fire district did not incur any additional cost for the painting of this truck. The differ

By Alan M. Petrillo

Tempe (AZ) Fire Medical Rescue has taken delivery on its second Rosenbauer 101-foot Cobra Aerial Platform, a rig on which the department made a number of changes to the location of tool mountings, as well as placement of hydraulic extrication equipment compared to its first Cobra.

“Our first Rosenbauer Cobra 101-foot aerial platform was an emergency purchase in 2015 when we bought a demo unit because we needed a truck in a hurry,” says Michael Atkinson, Tempe’s deputy chief. “With the latest Cobra, we mirrored that first purchase, but then added a number of features and changed the locations and mountings of some equipment to make the vehicle our own.” He adds that the newest Cobra replaces a 2004 E-ONE F114 Bronto Skylift ladder.

Chuy Quintino, Tempe’s senior fire mechanic, says the department made changes to where and how many of the truck’s tools were located, as well as to where the extrication equipment was located. “We have a rescue style front bumper with two hydraulic hose reels located outboard on the bumper,” Quintino says, “and a compartment in between them to hold the Genesis Rescue Systems hydraulic rescue tools, with the entire bumper covered under a continuous lid.”

Atkinson points out that Tempe’s two Rosenbauer Cobra aerial platforms are co-manned with ladder tenders. “The ladder tenders are a Type 1 pumper that carries extrication equipment, and a Ford F-550 chassis ladder tender with extrication gear,” he says. “The Cobra crews have the ability to use the extrication equipment on their own truck, or to take the ladder tenders if necessary. The trucks and ladder tenders are manned by the same crew, so they determine which rig to take. If it’s a structure fire or a below- or above-grade rescue it would be the Cobra.”

Chad Horn, the salesman at Velocity Fire Apparatus who sold the newest Cobra to Tempe, says the truck is outfitted with Rosenbauer’s Smart Aerial system with a single joystick control, and a wireless remote option. “The Cobra has an auto leveling feature,” Horn points out, “and also an all-jacks-up option that raises all four jacks at once, so the truck comes down in a smooth motion instead of rocking from side to side.” The Cobra has four H-style jacks with a 17-foot, 6-inch jack spread, he adds, “which can be short-jacked through the Smart Aerial technology to allow the truck to operate 360 degrees, depending on the elevation of the aerial.”

Horn notes that the rig is built on a Rosenbauer Commander chassis and cab with seating for six firefighters in H.O. Bostrom Sierra 500 seats, five of them in self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) seats. “We customized the body of the truck for Tempe’s needs, with the rescue-style front bumper, a shorter depth hose bed instead of the EZ Load hose bed, a traditional pedestal to control

Ferrara—Weslaco (TX) Fire Department HJD-77 rear-mount aerial quint. Cinder cab and chassis; Cummins L9 450-hp engine; Waterous CSU 2,000-gpm pump; UPF Poly 500-gallon water tank; 77-foot aerial ladder with 500-pound tip load flowing 1,500 gpm. Dealer: Jerry Haack, Lone Star Emergency Group, Houston, TX.

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The Springfield (IL) Fire Department is getting a series of upgrades in the city’s budget, including $6 million for new apparatus, new stations, and new staff as part of the department’s station and apparatus initiatives, reports newschannel20.com.

“This is a gamechanger for providing services to our community. Thank you from the men and women of the Springfield Fire Department!” the department writes on Facebook.

Officials say the funding is coming at the right time, as 13 of the department’s vehicles are more than 15 years old, and eight are older than 20. A Center for Public Safety Management study suggests 15 as the maximum vehicle age.

The new trucks will cut the department’s average apparatus age in half. The ball is already rolling with regards to the department applying for new rigs, which boast an 18- to 22-month delivery time.

The report notes that the department is still waiting on a new engine and truck bought from last year’s budget, but supply-chain issues slowed production and an end-of-summer delivery is anticipated.

See the entire council meeting here: