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| A Pierce Velocity aerial ladder and PUC pumper will be placed into service at Toronto International airport |
Pierce Manufacturing, an Oshkosh Corporation company, and part of the Oshkosh Fire & Emergency segment, has delivered a 75-foot Pierce Ultimate Configuration (PUC) aerial ladder and a PUC pumper to Toronto Pearson International Airport (Toronto Pearson) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. A Pierce heavy-duty rescue vehicle will follow and be placed into service in August. Toronto Pearson already has a fleet of Oshkosh Striker aircraft rescue and fire fighting vehicles and H-Series snow removal vehicles on duty.
“We’re a progressive fire department with increasing and varied emergency response requirements and a tremendous call volume, given our staffing levels,” said Dwayne Macintosh, deputy fire chief for Toronto Pearson Fire & Emergency Services. “Our new Pierce apparatus will help us more effectively respond to the challenges we face involving aircraft related emergencies, medical emergencies, HAZMAT response, technical rescue and more.”
All three vehicles are built on the Pierce Velocity custom chassis. The PUC pumper features a 500 hp DD13 engine, raised roof cab, 1,000-gallon water tank, Husky 12 foam system, a 10 kw generator, roll-up compartments with a wide range of shelving, and slide-out trays and toolboards. The Pierce heavy-duty aluminum ladders is a Quint configuration and features a 75-foot aerial device (with blue LED lighting along all three sections), a PUC pump, a Husky 12 foam system, and a 10 kW generator. The heavy-duty walk-in rescue features a 26-inch front bumper extension, a raised roof cab, a 75-inch interior walkway height, and storage for 14 SCBA bottles.
“We’re excited and gratified to have the opportunity to showcase the Pierce brand at such a progressive and growing international airport,” said Jim Johnson, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president, Fire & Emergency. “Toronto Pearson demonstrates the synergy of Pierce apparatus as these new vehicles join an existing fleet of Oshkosh airport crash rescue and snow removal vehicles to provide state-of-the-art protection to air travelers.”
“When we began our search for these vehicles, one of the most important things to us was quality. And we also wanted great customer service before, during, and especially after the sale,” added Chief Macintosh. “We’ve had a great history with the Oshkosh family and they’ve provided us with years of really good service – why would we expect anything different from Pierce? That’s what led us to choose Pierce.”
Toronto Pearson Fire & Emergency Services responds to 5,000 calls each year with an operational crew of 17, and a minimum of 11 people on duty at any time. Toronto International Airport is the largest and busiest airport in Canada. In 2011, it handled 33.4 million passengers and it is currently the world’s 23rd busiest airport.
