PRESS RELEASE
On June 15, Westfield Volunteer Fire Department took ownership of a new apparatus designated “73 Engine 3.” It will be the first “mini-pumper” placed in service in either Surry or Stokes County.
The design allows the apparatus to bring advanced firefighter capabilities to many rural, off-road locations that bigger, conventional engines are unable to access because of the rural, narrow, steep, twisting driveways found in our district. It carries the same equipment and pumping capacity as our larger, more-conventional engines. The vehicle can also operate as an off-road wildlands firefighting vehicle to supplement our current wildlands fire apparatus while also providing both on and off-road rescue capabilities.
- Cantankerous Wisdom: The Midi-Pumper | Part 1
- Cantankerous Wisdom: The Midi-Pumper | Part 2
- Cantankerous Wisdom: The Midi-Pumper | Part 3
- Cantankerous Wisdom: The Midi-Pumper | Part 4
So why this design? Westfield VFD first considered a mini-pumper style apparatus back in the mid-1980s when Former Chief Grant Christian led an effort to determine if the design was feasible and cost-
effective for our district. After several harsh winters in the early 1980s that saw the department having difficulty responding to emergencies because of slick, impassable roads and driveways, Chief Christian
proved that there was definitely a need for such a vehicle in our rural district. However, the technology
was not available to carry the equipment along with pumping the needed capacities of water to make
the apparatus economically feasible. But that has since changed with the development of diesel engines
for smaller vehicles along with new composite materials that are lighter and stronger than those
available in the 1980s.
There have also been huge improvements in four-wheel drive capability and the capacity of pumps in smaller sizes. Probably the biggest drawback at the time was the water capacity of the apparatus. Instead of bringing 750 to 1000 gallons of water to the scene, the mini-pumper design only allows for around 300 gallons of water. This was not acceptable in the 1980s as rural water supplies were limited. That has been solved in today’s world by mutual aid contracts with neighboring departments and more water supplies within our district. On each structure fire in our district, we have as much as 10,000 gallons of water automatically responding when the call is received.
With our current ability to keep our tankers on the main road while pumping the water through high-capacity supply lines well off the main road, we don’t need to carry as much water directly to the scene as in the past. This new apparatus incorporates these new designs improvements, along with our ability to supply large amounts water to its pump from greater distances, making it economically feasible for our rural district.
So why purchase this apparatus now? To keep up with firefighting technology, the State Fire Marshal’s
Office – who inspects and rates our station to give you, the taxpayer, the lowest possible homeowners
insurance rates – strongly suggests that we replace our engines every 20 to 30 years. Our second-out
engine is currently 31 years old. However, it has been well serviced and maintained during those 31
years. The motor and pump are still mechanically strong, and it still meets all state standards. However, it
continues to be heavily used and is beginning to cost more and more to maintain. A replacement for that
vehicle would currently cost around a half-million dollars. Since the apparatus is still in good mechanical
condition, this new mini-pumper will lighten the load on that older engine by responding to many of the
calls it normally runs at roughly 60% of the cost. This will hopefully increase the service life of that old
engine by maybe another decade.
Westfield VFD is proud to have always been on the cutting edge of rural firefighting technology. From
being one of the first departments to supply electrical generators on the scene, high-capacity air packs
for our firefighters, safer elliptical tankers for our rural road conditions, advanced wildlands fire
capability, an emphasis on lower insurance ratings, and now to this new style of frontline firefighting
engine, our goal is to continue to provide the residents of our service district with the best possible
service at the most reasonable cost.
