New fire truck arrives in Sechelt

Sechelt is home to the province’s first 100 foot 2020 Pierce ‘Ascendant’ mid-mount aerial ladder fire truck. The tandem axle vehicle, weighing in at 43,605 kilograms, arrived at the Sechelt Fire Hall Feb. 5.
Commercial Emergency Equipment supplied the truck at the cost of $1.5 million. That price reflects over $225,000 in discounts obtained by the Sechelt Volunteer Fire Department (SVFD). They received a price break by allowing the supplier to tour the truck around the Lower Mainland and other areas as a sales tool before delivery. The department’s order was also timed to avoid upcoming supplier price increases related to annual manufacturing cost adjustments.
Funding for this truck will come from the department’s capital reserves. That reserve will see money returned when the department sells and says goodbye to its existing 75 foot ‘Quint’ ladder truck.
Department Chief Trevor Pike said that this vehicle has key public and firefighter safety advantages over the existing trucks in their fleet. “This truck is state of the art for firefighting apparatus,” said Pike. “It gives us 100 feet of total vertical reach and 95 feet of horizontal reach, both very important when fighting fires in larger structures. One of the biggest advantages relates to the safety of our firefighters and the people being rescued from buildings.”
The aerial bucket is designed with a level entry. This reduces the chances of injury to individuals that need to get into and out of the bucket. The bucket is weight rated to accommodate four firefighters in full gear. That weight capacity also means that the bucket can serve as a ‘standpipe’ for water distribution to hoses operating at elevated levels.
The pumping capacity of the new truck is 2,000 gallons per minute.
Drivers for the new unit will require Class 3 licences due to the weight of the vehicle. Additional training of department volunteers is being planned.
A win for the public with the new truck is that it allows the department to maintain its fire fighting grade. That rating is taken into account when insurance agencies calculate policy pricing for homes within a fire department’s jurisdiction.
The new truck has a 25-year life span. As the SVFD is rated as a rural department, it is allowed to apply for an extension of five years to that period, pending an inspection of the unit.
Pike is thrilled with the level of support the department’s board and community have demonstrated by enabling this purchase. He also sends out thanks to members of the committee that helped coordinate acquisition of the truck, including Wayne Mowat, Dagan Benner, Adam Bramham, Mike Wainwright, Gera Gilroy, Dylan Chow and Craig Coombe.
Anyone with questions about the new acquisition or the department, can reach out to Chief Pike by calling 604-885-7017. Connie Jordison