LYNN — With the help of city financing, the Fire Department received a new pumper truck at the Broadway Fire House on Tuesday, which is going to be the largest engine in its emergency apparatus.
“It is definitely a morale booster for the personnel when they see new apparatus come in, because they know they are getting reliable equipment, which shows that the city and the department have an interest in providing them with what they need to do the job,” said Lynn Fire Chief Stephen Archer. “Of course, it is always great to have new stuff, too. It has that new truck smell.”
The new engine cost $565,000 and was financed by the city. Mayor Thomas M. McGee and the City Council approved financing to replace two engines for the fire department.
The engine has a 1,000-gallon water tank on it, which is going to give the department a good, steady supply of water in the instance of brush fires in Lynn Woods, which happen fairly frequently in the warmer months, Archer said. It will be able to work longer while waiting for other trucks to arrive in some scenarios, too.
The truck is painted in a red-and-black color scheme, which Archer thought looked sharp. Traditionally, all Lynn apparatus have been white-over-red, said Archer, but he asked for the opinion of fire department members before the purchase, and the black-over-red option was their clear favorite.
Archer said that the truck will be ready for use in a couple of weeks, because the department first needs to install some after-market equipment like mobile radio and an OptiCom system — which controls traffic lights for emergency response — and train firefighters on it. The Broadway Fire House crew will undergo a four-day manufacturer training session next week, said Capt. Ed Miles.
The new trucks have a lot of electronics in them, said Miles. Some features that used to be mechanical look the same but operate completely differently. There are a lot of warning lights, switches and sensors, and the firefighters can’t drive the truck until everyone is wearing a seatbelt.
The tall cabin of the new truck allows firefighters to stand up and put their gear inside. The cabin is well-lit and can hold five people, although usually only three people go on calls at a time.
“It is much more comfortable and brighter,” Miles said.
When the replacement was approved, the manufacturer happened to have a new vehicle in stock. Currently, it takes 20 months for a new truck to be delivered after the department sends out their desired specifications. The new engine was manufactured by E-One in Florida and purchased through a Massachusetts-based dealer, Greenwood Emergency Vehicles, LLC in North Attleborough.
“We feel it is a quality product. It provides what we need,” said Archer, adding that the Lynn Department of Public Works, which does the maintenance and repairs for the fire department, favors this make as well and is comfortable servicing them.
The old engines, 7 and 9, that are being replaced were in service since 1999 and 2002, and had 94,000 and 115,000 miles on them, respectively.
“Those trucks have served us well. They’ve given us all they’ve got,” said Archer. “We need to have reliable apparatus to provide the services to the city and we get out a full use out of these trucks, sometimes they outlive their life. It makes more sense from an economic point of view, to offset some of the high maintenance costs that are incurred with the older vehicles and from the safety standpoint as well.”
In a city like Lynn, Archer said, trucks usually serve 10-15 years before they are no longer suitable to be on the front line.
“In reality, we push it quite a bit longer,” said Archer. “You worry about breakdowns before we get on scene, you worry about breakdowns on scenes as well as about safety of the personnel on the truck and the safety of the public once these trucks are getting past their lifespan.”
Old pieces of equipment can be used as spare apparatus, as a trade-in or get sold out at an auction, depending on the condition of the truck.
The new engine is bigger than the old Engine 7, so the department sent the existing 500-gallon Engine 10 from Broadway to the Pine Hill Station making it the new Engine 7. Thus, the new big engine became Engine 10.
With current wait times, Engine 9 will probably be replaced next year, said Archer. The department will be receiving a new ladder truck in three weeks that was financed through a grant.
“Fortunately, right now we have the mayor and the City Council that understands the importance of public safety and are committed to providing us with the equipment we need,” said Archer. “We try to stay on top of what needs to be replaced.”
