Emily Plihal
Local Journalism
Initiative Reporter
Smoky River Fire and Rescue welcomed a new piece of equipment to its fleet of rescue vehicles Feb. 12.
“Our newest apparatus was put into service with a tradition of a Push-In service dating back to the 17th century,” explains fire chief Marcel Maure.
“Hall 3 in McLennan is now home to this beautiful fire engine. We look forward to showing off this new piece of equipment that’ll serve the community for years to come.”
Maure says the pumper tanker is built on a Freightliner M2-106 chassis, featuring 5083 saltwater marine-grade aluminum body construction and a CoPoly tank with a capacity of 1,700 Imperial gallons.
“The added water and high-pressure pump system will help fighting fires throughout our M.D.,” he says.
“With wildland fires on the rise, the ability to pump and roll with a bumper turret, firefighters can essentially fight fires from the cab of the truck.”
Maure says the unit is equipped with a Waterous HLU PTO-driven pump rated at 1,250 GPM, aluminum checker plate hose bed covers, a side control operator panel, and a Whelen Warning Light Package.
He adds it also features a 180° stainless steel telescoping dump chute, Amdor roll-up compartment doors, and a ladder storage system integrated into the tank pocket.
“So far the truck has been out on two non-fire calls,” Maure says. “Trucks will roll to all incidents and used as required. We’re happy to have this new piece of equipment added to our fleet.”
To enhance visibility and safety, this vehicle also includes a Fire Research Corp. (FRC) inView 360 camera system and a Whelen TAL65 traffic advisor. The inView 360HD is noted to be a revolutionary around vehicle monitoring system that helps to eliminate blind spots by giving drivers a real-time 360-degree view around the apparatus. The Traffic Advisor is a directional warning designed for serviceability with easy access to front loading modules.