A new state-of-the-art fire truck will hit Nanaimo streets shortly. The more manoeuvrable vehicle is designed to navigate tight city streets and be used in more situations. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

BIG UPGRADE

New advanced ladder truck ready to be deployed by Nanaimo Fire Rescue

Sep 16, 2020 | 5:17 AM

NANAIMO — A brand new, state-of-the-art ladder truck is ready to become the workhorse of Nanaimo Fire Rescue’s fleet.

Delivered in July, city firefighters have spent the past two months training on the new equipment which is replacing an aging ladder truck.

Tim Doyle, deputy fire chief, told NanaimoNewsNOW the new apparatus is smaller, lighter and handles better. It allows the truck to be deployed for just about every call crews respond to.

“Traditionally those larger ladder trucks aren’t able to do that because the size is so big, it’s just not feasible to run an 80,000 pound, 50 foot long truck on the front line.”

Front line equipment are deployed on common emergency calls such as medical aid, motor vehicle incidents and house alarms. More specialized second line gear is only deployed as required.

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The new truck is approximately eight feet shorter and 20,000 pounds lighter than its predecessor but carries the same amount of crew and equipment.

It also comes with an extendable 110 foot ladder.

When stopped, the truck’s three stabilizing feet use a smaller area than older trucks with four feet.

Doyle said the new vehicle is like driving a car or SUV when you’re used to a big truck.

It can transport a crew of five and has been used as a support piece in some calls and will become a more integral part to the equipment rotation in the next week.

“Even if it wasn’t the plan, if it was going to be a support piece, it could still be used when our front line apparatus break down too, it just offers us a lot more versatility.”

Fully loaded with equipment, the vehicle is worth over $1.5 million.

alex.rawnsley@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alexrawnsley