Mansfield Fire Department covers an area in North Texas that is rapidly growing with residential structures and multi-story buildings. The department currently operates out of five fire stations, staffed by 102 paid firefighters/paramedics/EMTs and is in the process of looking for a location for a sixth station. In order to provide the best fire protection for its growing community, Mansfield Fire had Spartan ER build two pumpers, a rear-mount aerial ladder quint, and a rear-mount aerial platform quint.
Kyle Wright, Mansfield captain and member of the apparatus committee, notes, “There are a lot of rooftops going up now in town, and we’re also getting a lot more multi-story apartment buildings. Right now, the maximum height we have is four stories, but we expect five- and six-story buildings in the near future, which is why we chose to diversify with both an aerial ladder and a platform.”
Brian Cudaback, apparatus sales director for Metro Fire Apparatus Specialists, who sold the rigs to Mansfield, says the department put out competitive bids for the apparatus and Metro Fire won the competition for Spartan ER. “Mansfield is the city where our shop is located,” he says, “where we do all the maintenance for their apparatus. They were looking to refresh their fleet and chose us to do that.”
Cudaback says the two pumpers are identical, built on a Spartan Metro Star LFD chassis and cab with seating for four firefighters and emergency medical services (EMS) cabinets, powered by a 450-horsepower (hp) Cummins L 9 diesel engine, and an Allison 3000 EVS automatic transmission, and carrying a Waterous CSU 1,500-gallon-per-minute (gpm) pump, and 500-gallon water tank. Wheelbase on the pumpers is 214 inches, overall length is 34 feet 8 inches, and overall height is 10 feet 6-1/2-inches.
The rear-mount aerial quint is on a Spartan Gladiator LFD chassis and cab, with a 105-foot heavy duty 750-pound tip load aerial ladder, powered by a 565-horsepower Cummins X 15 diesel engine, and an Allison 4000 EVS automatic transmission. The quint has a Waterous CSU 2,000-gpm pump, 400-gallon water tank, a hydraulic hose loader, carries 1,000 feet of 5-inch large diameter hose (LDH), and has 232 cubic feet of compartment space. The aerial ladder quint’s wheelbase is 253 inches, overall length is 43 feet 6 inches, and overall height is 12 feet 7 inches.
Cudaback says the rear-mount platform quint is built on a Spartan Gladiator LFD chassis and cab, with a 100-foot heavy duty aerial platform, powered by a 600-horsepower Cummins X 15 diesel engine, and an Allison 4000 EVS automatic transmission. The platform quint has a Waterous CSU 2,000-gpm pump, 300-gallon water tank, and has 234 cubic feet of compartment space. The aerial platform quint’s wheelbase is 255 inches, overall length is 49 feet 10 inches, and overall height is 12 feet 7 inches.
Wright points out that all four vehicles are paramedic response rigs that have 110-volt air conditioning systems to keep their EMS medication cabinets cool when the rigs are sitting in the station. He adds that the two quints have a full complement of hosed Holmatro hydraulic rescue tools (spreader, cutter, and rams), while the two engines each carry a Holmatro battery-powered combi tool.
ALAN M. PETRILLO is a Tucson, Ariz.-based journalist, the author of three novels and five non-fiction books, and a member of the Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment editorial advisory board. He served 22 years with Verdoy (NY) Fire Department, including the position of chief.
