Two new fire trucks will be added to Welland Fire and Emergency Services’ fleet by the end of this year.
One will give firefighters just a bit more reach when it comes to taller buildings in the city and complex areas, while the second will replace a 1990 Seagrave pumper at the end of its service life.
Last month, city council approved the purchase of a 110’ Ascendant platform aerial truck and a Sabre pumper truck from Appleton, Wisc.,-based Pierce Manufacturing Inc., the largest fire truck manufacturer in North America.
The vehicles come in at just more than $2.5 million for the two vehicles — the pumper at $913,723, and the aerial at $1.59 million. Funds from the aerial purchase will be used to offset a shortfall in the pumper budget.
Ward 4 Coun. Bryan Green asked what would become of the 1990 Seagrave pumper and Aerial 2, which has a 107’ high reach.
Fire Chief Adam Eckhart said Aerial 2 won’t be a primary run or staffed vehicle once the new aerial arrives.
“It will be held for reserve or call back if there’s a significant or large event in the city or during mechanical failure,” the chief said, adding call back is when off-duty firefighters are called in to man a station during larger incidents.
Green asked if Aerial 2 would be manned once new firefighters come on board.
The city hired seven full-time firefighters earlier this year, with three of the seven recruited to replace firefighters who retired. The other four were part of a hiring program approved last year by city council to boost the ranks.
The recruits are still in training but expected to be in stations later this month and bring the city’s full-time firefighter count to 52.
Eckhart said the new firefighters will not man Aerial 2. They will bring manpower up to four firefighters in each of the three stations and bring on the current on-duty minimum to 12 from eight.
Though the 1990 Seagrave pumper is at the end of its service life it will be maintained as long as there are no significant repairs and be used for training.
“It provides a good training tool at our training centre,” said the chief, adding full-time and volunteer firefighters can use it to learn pumping operations.
Ward 1 Coun. Adam Moote asked what the lead time was to acquire the new trucks.
“I’m sure you can’t just go on the lot and buy a new fire truck,” said Moote.
Eckhart said Pierce is the largest fire truck manufacturer in North America and it has a number of predetermined stock units that they call production vehicles.
“The trucks will be available to us by the end of this calendar year,” Eckhart said, adding fire truck manufacturers are experiencing delays for custom-built trucks of more than 24 months.
Moote asked director of planning and development services Grant Munday what the projected growth of the city was, given the new fire trucks will be in service sooner rather than later.
Munday said the 11,000 additional residential units are expected in the Rose City over the next decade, which equates to at least 20,000 people. A similar level is expected in the decade after that.
Ward 6 Coun. Bonnie Fokkens asked how many storeys the new aerial would reach.
“Generally, it’s 10 storeys and upwards of 11 depending on vehicle placement, where the fire route is positioned closest to the building and how many sides we have access to,” said Eckhart, adding there are programs in place to provide service to higher levels in buildings.
Fokkens asked if there would be an aerial in the future that reaches higher given at least one apartment building to go in at the new Warbler Place Urban Village at Seaway Mall will be higher than 11 storeys.
The chief said the reach of standard aerial trucks is 100’ to 110’ on the high end. He said there are some anomalies, with Toronto Fire Service taking delivery of a 230’ unit.
“The aerial device still needs to be on a truck frame that you can transit the city in,” he said.
Ward 2 Coun. David McLeod said the purchase is further evidence the city is executing its fire master-plan with three new fire halls and equipment as well as personnel.
McLeod heard the new trucks will fit in the new stations alongside the current fleet.
Mayor Frank Campion said the fire service has been on an amazing journey in a short period of time.
“We have some great leadership, great members of the association and the entire team is moving the fire service at record speed forward. You have to commend these folks and this council for moving forward.”
