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A fire truck custom-designed for the Prairies is ready for active duty just in time for grass and brush fire season in Saskatchewan.
The heavily modified Ford F-550 was unveiled April 26 by the Blucher and Aberdeen Volunteer Fire Department (BAVFD).
Fire Chief Mike Steckhan says the truck’s off road capabilities means it can respond to fires in remote and hard to reach areas.
“It’s quite important. For example, the Saskatoon Fire Department is very well equipped. They’ve got great guys and great apparatus, but none of that is off road,” Steckhan said.
“In order to get into a field or a brush somewhere, which might be a quarter of a mile from the nearest road, the city can’t really do that. So that’s the unique thing about this truck.”
Sprinklers on the bumper of the new fire truck allows the vehicle to driver over the fire while extinguishing it. (Will Mandzuk/650CKOM)
Fire monitors on both side of the vehicle and outlet ports allow crews to put out fires without stopping.It’s also equipped with a bumper sprayer, a 200 foot hose reel and 400 gallon water tank.
Steckhan said the truck is also designed to stand up to the elements of a Saskatchewan winter
“The truck is really, really perfect for this kind of a climate,” he said. “For example, if it’s -35C and you’ve got water in those pipes, you’re going to damage that truck before you get home into the warm hall. This unit actually has a compressed air system so that when you’re done fighting the fire, you can actually blow all the water out of the piping.”
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The BAVFD fire truck was built at Acres Industries south of Brandon, Man. The $385,0000 cost was shared by the RMs of Aberdeen and Blucher, along with contributions from fundraising campaigns.
The truck arrives as wildfire season is ramping up in the province.
On Monday, the municipality of Blucher enacted a fire ban due to the dry conditions in the area. According to the Public Safety Agency, more than a dozen RM’s across the province have taken the same precaution.
There have been 52 fires reported to date, down from 81 at this time last year.
“One major fire, and you pay for that truck. Initially the purchase price is expensive, but in the long run, it’s well worth,” Steckhan said.
The department also recently acquired hydraulic rescue tools, and is planning an open house to demonstrate both pieces of equipment to the public.
-With files from Brent Bosker and Will Manzuk
