Lexington, SC (Paul Kirby) Lexington County has taken delivery of two new fire engines that are being used to replace trucks that have higher mileage on them and were showing the results of their current station’s high call volume. One will be designated Engine 9 and stationed at Oak Grove and the other will be called Engine 12 and put in the Gaston station. Both have the new red and charcoal grey paint scheme that Lexington County switched to after more than 40 years of using white fire apparatus.
They are identical, and were purchased from the SutphenCorporation, one of the nation’s leading manufacturer of emergency equipment. They are capable of pumping 1,500 gallons of water per minute and carry 1,000 gallons of water in their tanks. Additionally, they have onboard foam tanks and systems, can carry up to five firefighters belted into fully enclosed cabs, and carry 1,000 feet of 5” large diameter supply hose.
The trucks also have the latest electronics that include wireless headsets for the radio and intercom systems, state-of-the-art, 365-degree emergency lights systems, sirens, and horns, and all the safety features required by the NFPA. Each truck costs approximately $499,990 with the options they were delivered with.
The previous truck that was stationed at Gaston had very high mileage on it. That truck was moved to a more rural station where it won’t see so much action. Eventually, its life cycle will include a stint as a reserve truck before being retired.
Ladder 9 is still at Oak Grove where the second new pumper went. The leadership of the fire service is currently evaluating its fleet before deciding where a truck from that station may be repositioned. The ladder could eventually be moved to an even more urban station where its horizontal and vertical reach could be better suited for the area and type of calls it responds to.
