Pierce Manufacturing Inc., announced the city of San Diego Fire-Rescue Department has placed an order for 18 custom fire apparatus, including 17 Pierce fire trucks and one Frontline Communications mobile command vehicle.
The new fire and emergency vehicles represent the first order in a $52 million fleet replacement initiative for the city of San Diego Fire-Rescue Department to support sustainability and fleet operation and mechanics standardization initiatives.
Sold through authorized Pierce dealer South Coast Fire Equipment, the order includes one Pierce Volterra electric pumper, six traditional pumpers, four Ascendant 102-foot Heavy-Duty Tiller Aerial Ladders, one Heavy-Duty Rescue Hazmat Unit, two Freightliner 114SD Dry-Side Tankers, three Freightliner M2-106 Type 3 Pumpers, and one Frontline Communications Mobile Command Unit.
“We purchased our first Pierce fire apparatus in 1991,” said James Gaboury, deputy fire chief of San Diego Fire-Rescue’s Logistics Division. “We’ve developed a trusted 20-plus year relationship with South Coast Fire Equipment, and because of a longstanding proven track record, our goal is to maintain an entirely Pierce fleet to provide a consistent fire apparatus platform for our firefighters and mechanics.”
The new Volterra electric pumper was selected after a thorough review of the apparatus’ placements in Madison, Wisconsin, and Portland, Oregon. The electric fire truck will support the city’s sustainability and fleet electrification initiatives. Additionally, the department’s new Frontline Communications mobile command vehicle will incorporate advanced design and integrated communication systems. The state-of-the-art vehicle will include four slide-outs, a large conference room, twin mast system, 25 video displays, IP mesh network, Avtec dispatch system, and a vast array of communications capabilities.
The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department serves a population of over 1.4 million citizens and responds to approximately 178,000 incidents annually. The department has more than 1,380 sworn and civilian personnel based at 51 career fire stations and one air operations station.
