The Town of Comox and its fire service partner, the Comox Fire Protection District, has authorized the necessary replacement of the fire department’s aging aerial truck. Comox Fire Rescue has operated a fleet of three (3) fire engines since the 1950s and instead of adding to the fleet, the recommendation is to keep the machines current and utilizing the latest technology.
For almost 30 years, Comox Fire Rescue has continued to remain on top of the fleet’s asset management needs and maintain a replacement schedule for its fire apparatuses. The lifespan for larger aerial vehicles are set at 20 years as guided by the Fire Underwriters Survey (FUS) of Canada. FUS represents a portion of the insurance industry in Canada and guides fire departments on safety requirements and insurance classifications. Replacing the current aerial truck maintains insurance rates in the Comox area, ensuring minimal disruption to insurance rates for commercial and residential structures.
The requirement for an aerial ladder truck is determined once a community has more than a handful of three-storey or taller buildings. The number of taller buildings in the Comox area has grown significantly throughout the years, as has the number of residents living above the second floor. Call volume has also grown significantly for the department, as over 750 calls were response to in 2021.
The new aerial truck will be built by Pierce, North America’s largest fire truck manufacturer. It has a reach of 110’ and features a three-person platform bucket on the end of the ladder. The new platform allows victims to be lowered to the ground two or three at a time, which is much safer and efficient for our firefighters. The reach is important as many times the ladder cannot be placed right beside a building to get to balconies, decks, or roofs. The aerial also includes an elevated water stream of 1,000 gallons of water per minute.
New truck features:
- Built-in anti-idle system – designed to shut the engine off and switch to battery power when the vehicle is in standby mode.
- All gas-powered handheld equipment will be replaced with rechargeable battery equipment.
- “Crew Protect” multi-threat air filtration system – designed to clean cab air, reducing airborne and viral threats into the vehicle.
- Note: this feature will also be added to the existing fleet
“The replacement aerial truck will maintain and enhance our current capability to ensure our community is safe and protected,” says Comox Fire Chief Gord Schreiner. “This new truck will be the greenest in our fleet and is expected to serve the community until 2042. With larger buildings and a growing Comox community to service, we believe this is the right purchase at the right time.”
The cost for the new aerial truck is approximately $1.5 million. Because of the Comox Fire Rescue’s financial pre-planning, a large portion of the cost has been covered by revenue earned through the fire department’s response efforts assisting the province in wildfire incidents over the past several years. The remainder of the funding will come from the Town of Comox (approx. $630,000) and the Comox Fire Protection District (approx. $270,000).
“We strongly believe the need to invest in our citizens’ safety and deliver high quality emergency services,” explains Comox Mayor Russ Arnott. “This decision is necessary to ensure our equipment is kept to the highest standard, and we believe this was done so in a fiscally responsible manner.”
“We have enjoyed great service from Comox Fire Rescue and have a very solid working relationship with the Town of Comox,” states Comox Fire Protection District Chairperson Scott Park. “This is truly one of those win/win situations and we can’t be happier with the result.”
The new aerial truck is expected to be ready for delivery in the fall of 2023. After this truck has been replaced, the next scheduled fleet replacement will be the main (and most used) truck in 2030/2031.