By Brandi Makuski
In an effort to tackle ongoing challenges with aging equipment, the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department has added three new hybrid service trucks to its fleet.
Capt. Justin A. “JT” Turner, a department veteran of 23 years who currently chairs its Apparatus Committee, explained that the new vehicles are essential given the department’s deteriorating fleet.
“We’ve got nearly a third of our fleet out of service at any given time due to maintenance issues,” Turner said. “I would say all of our vehicles are past their life cycle, and these hybrids will help keep us operational when one of our aerial ladders goes down.”
But “hybrid” is a bit of a misnomer. Turner said the department used the term to describe the new trucks because the vehicles combine several key features of traditional fire apparatus without including the expensive aerial ladders typically found on ladder trucks.
Calling the trucks “hybrid” is more of a nickname, Turner said, as the rigs are not environmentally focused. “They’re not electric—it’s just a catchy term because hybrids are a hot topic,” Turner said.
The trucks carry the full complement of equipment that a traditional ladder truck would have, except for the aerial ladder, which is rarely used by the department. The mix of capabilities, paired with cost-saving measures, inspired the hybrid designation.
“They’re essentially a chassis with a toolbox on it,” he said.
The hybrid trucks, which cost about $600,000 each, are designed as a more economical solution compared with fully-equipped ladder trucks. According to Turner, a traditional aerial ladder truck can cost up to $2 million, including the equipment.
“The most expensive part of the aerial trucks is the ladder itself, and for us, it’s the least-used feature,” Turner said.
The hybrid trucks, built on Spartan Metro Star chassis with a 450-horsepower Cummings diesel engine, are equipped with ground ladders and other tools required for responding to emergencies like vehicle entrapments, medical calls, and structure fires.
The hybrid trucks are staffed by three to four personnel carried in the cab, similar to the department’s other apparatus. And even though they’re considered reserve vehicles, the trucks will be housed at whichever station has an aerial ladder truck out of service, meaning they could be deployed from any of the department’s 31 stations across Atlanta.
While a fully-equipped aerial ladder truck can take up to 500 days to manufacture, the hybrid trucks were produced in less than a year. Turner said that the decision to go with these trucks was largely driven by cost and production time.
The lead time for the new hybrid trucks was less than a year. AFRD ordered the rigs in early 2023. The department recently ordered a fourth hybrid vehicle and expects to take receipt in late 2025.
“We’re not in an ideal scenario, but this is a cost-effective and necessary solution,” Turner said. “They’ll always be in service because we always have something that’s broken down.”
Turner advised other fire departments to be open to alternatives when facing financial and logistical constraints.
“You have to think outside of your normal traditions to make things work,” Turner said.
Atlanta Fire Rescue currently operates 50 vehicles, including engines, ladders, and rescue units, with more than 48 of them staffed at all times across the city.
Atlanta’s hybrid trucks
- 2024 Spartan Metro Star Cab and Chassis with Spartan ER custom body. Same cab/chassis as Atlanta’s pumpers just a longer frame.
- Seating for six
- Interior cab designed for easy decon: vinyl upholstery, coated metal or bedliner coated surfaces
- 450-hp Cummins L9 motor
- Allison 4000 transmission
- Exhaust brake and transmission retarder
- Onspot tire chains
- Rear ladder to access top of body storage
- Custom in-fender storage for extinguishers and SCBA cylinders
Brandi Makuski has been a journalist in Portage County, Wisconsin, since 2004, and currently operates the Point/Plover Metro Wire. She maintains strong relationships with local police and fire/EMS agencies, and advocates training journalists to better cover emergency scenes and improving communication between emergency workers and the press.
