Mary Dimitrov
The Island Packet (Hilton Head Island, S.C.)
(TNS)
Aug. 2—Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue is known for moving fast. It’s imperative because the service responds to about 9,700 calls annually.
But several new Hilton Head rescue trucks will move relatively slowly over the next two weeks. They’ll be driven on the interstate under the speed limit at a maximum of 68 mph from Louisiana, where the vehicles were built, to the island.
“No cruise control, no radio,” Deputy Fire Chief Justin Cunningham said.
Twelve new vehicles will replace the fire rescue’s old fleet, introducing updated technology and allowing firefighters to extinguish fires more quickly. The existing trucks are about 14 years old and the new ones should last about 15 years, according to Cunningham. He said Hilton Head residents will start to see the new vehicles on the road as soon as Aug. 12.
Taxpayers will bear the $11.95 million cost over ten years.
Cunningham said the replacements were originally scheduled for 2018, but Hurricane Matthew hit in 2016 and upended the schedule. The town had to spend money rebuilding, not paying for fire trucks.
Because the replacements were about six years late due to supply chain issues, it increased the vehicles’ price. Combined with industry delays, parts delays and manpower shortages, taxpayers will pay $4.55 million more than the $6.2 million town slated for the vehicles in 2022. The price includes two more trucks than planned to accommodate the growing service. The final pricing breakdown is:
— $7.45 million for 10 new fire vehicles, including eight “pumpers” — used to carry and spray water — and two “quints” — used as both a ladder truck and a pumper. “Quint” is short for quintuple, referencing five functions: pump, water tank, fire hose, aerial ladder, and ground ladders.
— $4.5 million for two ladder trucks.
The town is using the Hospitality Tax Fund and a lease-purchase agreement for the equipment. A third party would “essentially own the trucks,” according to Assistant Finance Director John McGowan. The town will pay them back over 10 years.
Differences between the old and new trucks range from an LED color change to the addition of an anti-theft system.
“In layman’s terms, you’re going from Ford to Toyota,” Cunnigham said.
The process of designing the vehicles is also much like personalizing a car. A Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue team developed the truck’s specifications over months. They compared pump panels, debated valve placement and examined computer-aided models until they designed a custom truck, differing from other municipalities such as Bluffton’s vehicles.
Cunningham explained one major change is the electronic locking system for the trucks’ cabs. The old trucks didn’t lock and people frequently stole equipment. Emergency responders also won’t worry about their vehicles “walking off.” In 2021, a driver stole a Hilton Head ambulance and crashed into Publix.
The trucks’ engines and hoses are quieter, reducing road and neighborhood disturbance. Not any less quiet, but less cluttered are the radios that rescue workers use to communicate with each other. There’s less jibber-jabber and an electronic voice does the talking.
“We don’t talk on the radio anymore,” said Cunningham, explaining that dispatchers previously voiced every call.
About two months ago, the rescue switched to a computer radio system. Firefighters push a button saying what they’re doing and radio dispatch sends out the call.
No matter which of the seven Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue stations receive the call, the trucks have the same equipment and layout. This makes it easier for firefighters to fill in at other stations or interchange trucks if one needs to be serviced.
This story was originally published August 2, 2024, 1:01 PM.
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