Jefferson City firefighters dedicate new fleet

Fire Capt. Scott Spencer takes a photo of his mates posing with the Jefferson City Fire Department's new equipment Tuesday at the Miller Performing Arts Center parking lot. The fleet includes seven new fire vehicles.
Fire Capt. Scott Spencer takes a photo of his mates posing with the Jefferson City Fire Department's new equipment Tuesday at the Miller Performing Arts Center parking lot. The fleet includes seven new fire vehicles.

The culmination of three years of work was on display Tuesday afternoon as the Jefferson City Fire Department dedicated its new fleet of trucks.

Speaking to a crowd gathered on the steps at the Miller Performing Arts Center, Fire Chief Matt Schofield said they wanted to express their appreciation to the residents of Jefferson City for entrusting the fire department with "this cutting edge, extremely capable equipment."

The City Council approved a bill in June 2017 to authorize the purchase of replacement fire apparatus and associated equipment.

They awarded a financing plan of more than $5 million to fund the replacement of the fire department's frontline fleet. The financing allowed the department to purchase seven trucks (two ladder trucks, two rescue squads and three engines).

It also allowed the department to use three of the current frontline trucks to update their four reserve trucks, which Schofield said are often pressed into service during maintenance intervals and peak demand circumstances.

From the time of order, it took a year to build and deliver the apparatus.

Four trucks were on display Tuesday.

Schofield said they plan to have a new engine and a new ladder truck, which will extend a ladder 109 feet in the air, at Station 1 at High and Bolivar streets. New rescue squads will be based at Station 2 on East McCarty Street and Station 5 at 
Fairgrounds Road. A new engine and a new ladder truck will be at Station 3 on Missouri 179; a new engine is also heading to Station 4 on Ellis Boulevard.

"Some fun facts about these trucks: total length of hose on all seven trucks - 18,250 feet; total weight - 411,100 pounds; total feet of ladders - 662 feet," Schofield said. "One of the most important numbers you need to know is we purchase trucks to last 20 years, and that's what we expect these trucks will do."

Schofield acknowledged the apparatus committee, a group of seven members of the fire department who first met in 2015.

"Their mission was very simple - build the safest, most capable, durable trucks ever constructed on an extremely tight budget. That was simple wasn't it guys?" Schofield said. "We wanted them to be something the community would be proud of. We gave them a different color scheme with a logo from a 1921 engine we had in service in the late '20s."

Schofield recognized the apparatus committee by giving them a special fire chief commendation coin, which was the first time the department had awarded the coin. The committee included Assistant Chief Tim Grace, Capt. Chris Muenks, driver Brian Leivian, driver Bobby Kuster, driver Clint Hayes, firefighter Shane Englehardt and firefighter Anthony Trapani.

"One of the biggest differences from our older trucks is that these new trucks have aluminum bodies which, if they rolled over or have something fall on them, it's almost crush resistant," Muenks said. "We were able to work to get the cabs designed, the seats laid out so almost everything in the trucks we got to choose where it went."

Muenks also said they have intercoms and headsets to allow firefighters to talk to each other when they are going to and on the scene of a fire.

"They are different to drive," Muenks said. "They turn sharper than our old trucks. The guys will have to get used to them."

Muenks added the trucks use LED lighting, which means they save battery power and fuel while having brighter lights.

"The pumps on the trucks are in the rear and not in the middle like in the past," he said. "The idea behind that is it's safer for our fighters to operate the pump should they be out on the highway or in a close space. The trucks also carry multiple foam capabilities that allow us to deal with something like the tanker truck fire from a few years ago near the Jefferson Street overpass as well as house or other structure fires."

After the formal ceremony, Schofield invited the crowd to "come, see and touch and experience this state-of-the-art equipment that we use to protect our community and our firefighters. These are your fire trucks. This investment of life-saving equipment, in the hands of our highly skilled operators, will serve our community for many years to come. It will also help us fulfill our mission and motto, 'to serve people, shield property and to save lives.'"