Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 24, 1991 TAG: 9103240071
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: D13 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER MUNICIPAL WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The truck, which will have a ladder 21 feet taller than any on trucks now used by the city, will cost $420,581.
"It will give us more height, of course, but the truck also has several other features that will increase our firefighting capability," Fire Chief Rawleigh Quarles said Friday.
The truck has a built-in channel so that water can flow to the top of the ladder. Firefighters won't have to manually connect a hose and carry it up, Quarles said.
The heavy-duty truck is more stable than the 100-foot-ladder trucks, he said.
Firefighters tested a 135-foot truck, the tallest generally used by departments in the United States, but chose the 121-foot vehicle because it appeared to be more stable, he said.
The city now has four 100-foot ladder trucks and two 65-foot trucks, which are used for backup.
Quarles said the new truck will reach the 12th floor of downtown office buildings.
The Norfolk Southern building, under construction, will have 11 stories.
The Dominion Tower, also under construction, will have 21 stories, but fire-protection features included in its design will help protect the upper floors. Like newer high-rise buildings, for example, Dominion Tower will have pipes that run to the upper floors and which firefighters can hook into in the event of a fire.
A bid committee will recommend Monday that City Council award a contract to Grumman Emergency Products for the ladder truck. Council also will be asked to approve the purchase of five 1,500-gallon engine pumper trucks for $1 million.
Council earlier had set aside $1.4 million for the fire trucks after City Manager Robert Herbert urged a replacement policy for fire apparatus. Because the city has not regularly replaced its equipment, some of its fire engines are beyond their standard useful life.
by CNB