| Pierce places two Pierce Arrow XT pumpers into front line duty |
Pierce Manufacturing, an Oshkosh Corporation company, has placed two Pierce Arrow XT pumpers into front line duty with the Rapid City Fire Department in Rapid City, S.D. The department’s Pierce fleet now includes six front line engines, one reserve engine, one aerial, and five wildland brush trucks. In addition, the Department runs five Medtec ambulances.
“We’re a high call volume department, and can put 20,000 miles on a pumper in a single year, so ruggedness and durability are key,” said Fire Chief Mike Maltaverne of the Rapid City Fire Department. “The Arrow XTs have been a great fit for Rapid City – they’re heavy-duty and have proven themselves to be extremely reliable. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find any Pierce truck sitting in our maintenance facility. They’re always in service – and that’s a good thing for our department’s bottom line.”
“Pierce is proud to be the emergency response vehicle of choice for the Rapid City Fire Department, as they deliver a wide range of essential emergency services throughout their region,” said Jim Johnson, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president, Fire & Emergency. “The Arrow XT is built from the frame rails up to deliver reliability and performance mile after mile, and we’re pleased to see these meet the diverse challenges they encounter in the Mount Rushmore state.”
The Arrow XT pumpers are each equipped with a Detroit Diesel 470 hp engine, 152-inch long aluminum body, 10-inch raised roof cab, seating for four firefighters, and three EMS cabinets inside the cab. The vehicles also feature frontal impact and side roll protection systems, TAK-4 independent front suspension, Command Zone advanced electronics, a 1,500-gpm pump, 750-gallon water tank, Husky™ 12 foam system, 25-gallon foam cell, and lowered crosslays.
“Pierce and the team at Front Range Fire Apparatus do an excellent job for us,” added Chief Maltaverne. “It makes a big difference for our firefighters and incident commanders to know that we’ve got good, functional, and well maintained fire apparatus. Everyone who works here definitely loves the Pierce apparatus we’re running.”
The Rapid City Fire Department is comprised of 135 paid firefighters who respond to 14,000 calls annually in a protection district of 55 square miles and a population of 67,000. The department provides structural and wildland fire suppression, hazardous materials response, technical rescue, EMS and advanced life support, aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF), as well as comprehensive public education and prevention initiatives.
Pierce dealer, Front Range Fire Apparatus of Longmont, Colo., provides local service and support.