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| To reach residences far from the road, as well as the roof of the community’s high school, the members of the Crowley (Texas) Fire Department purchased a 125-foot, rear-mount aerial from Smeal Fire Apparatus. (Smeal Photo) |
The Crowley (Texas) Fire Department recently added a Smeal 125-foot heavy-duty rear-mount aerial.
“This is the second aerial device we’ve purchased from Smeal,” said Crowley Deputy Fire Chief Pleasant Brooks. “The first went online in 2000 and has given us excellent performance.” The department’s latest aerial was put in service in November.
“Our earlier Smeal is a rear-mount and the 125-footer operates in the same way so that’s what we feel more comfortable with,” said Brooks.
Crowley Fire Department has a 120 square mile service area with 10,000 residents and is 10 miles from Fort Worth.
The latest unit is built on a Smeal Sirius custom chassis with an aluminum body, flat roof tilt cab and Smeal lap doors.
The power plant is a 515 hp Detroit Diesel Series 60 engine paired with an Allison 4000EVS transmission. The Hale Qmax fire pump delivers 2,000 gpm and the UPF tank has a 300-gallon capacity.
The 125-foot aerial has the longest horizontal reach in the industry and a 500-pound tip load while flowing 1,250 gpm.
“The increased reach now makes it possible to access the high school’s roof as well as residences that are far from the road,” said Brooks.
Other features include Whelen scene lights, Code 3 siren, and a Leece Neville alternator. The department especially appreciates a rear-mounted Ergonomic Hose Load (EHL) feature, the deputy said.
Brooks also said funding for the unit was supplemented by in-house grant writing.
The new $610,000 125-foot Smeal aerial was purchased directly from the factory in Snyder, Neb.
For information call 402-568-2224 or go to www.smeal.com.
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