CITY BRIEFS
New fire trucks will assist City responding to increase in calls for service
The Portland Fire Department recently made significant improvements to its fleet by taking delivery of two new engines and one new ladder truck.
“These three new fire trucks are so important to our ability to respond to the volume of calls we receive,” said Chief Keith Gautreau. “This year we’re on track to answer 18,000 calls for service, which is a 20% increase from the previous calendar year.”
The three new trucks are housed throughout the city. Engine 5 operates from Central Fire Station at 380 Congress Street and serves the Bayside and Old Port areas. Engine 6 operates out of the Bramhall Square Fire Station at 784 Congress Street and serves the West End. Ladder 3, which does have pumping capabilities in addition to its 107-foot aerial, operates out of the Rosemont Station at 212 Stevens Avenue.
For 2022 year to date, Engine 5 has answered 2,900 calls for service. Engine 6 and Ladder 3 have each answered 2,000 calls for service. Annualized for 2022, Engine 5 is on pace to answer 3,700 calls for service. Meanwhile, Engine 6 and Ladder 3 are each on pace to answer 2,500 calls for service.
All three new fire trucks are 2022 Pierce Enforcers with a 15-to-20-year life expectancy. Fiscal year 2022 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) funding in the amount of $2.7 million was provided for the purchase of the new apparatus – $710k per engine and $1.2 million for the ladder truck.
New Trucks = New Tech
The new fire trucks include galvanized frames for greater longevity, especially given Maine winters. Additionally, the trucks have clean cabs to protect firefighters and prevent occupational cancer, side directional cameras for safety, and independent front suspensions for greater maneuverability. Ladder 3 boasts a self-leveling, anti-intrusion aerial and provides greater offsets for superior operation on hills.
