Earlier this week, the City of Temecula unveiled a brand-new aerial ladder truck that is 57-feet in length, with a 101-foot ladder, to be housed at Station 73in the business/industrial area of Temecula. The custom-built new truck replaced a 2003ladder truck, which will be used on reserve and parked at Fire Station 95, the City’snewest Fire Station off of Butterfield Stage Road.
In 2016, voters approved Measure S, which provided the funds to purchase a new fire ladder truck. The custom-built truck was constructed and budgeted over two fiscal years, and is approximately $1.2M.
Temecula Mayor Maryann Edwards states, “Utilizing Measure S, the City is continuing its promise of keeping public safety as the top priority, including fire protection. Temecula is very pleased to welcome Ladder Truck 73 to our fleet, strengthening our emergency preparedness and enhancing response capabilities.”
“This new state-of-the-art ladder truck is a significant enhancement to theDepartment’s response capabilities and complies with modern, nationally recognized safety standards,” says Temecula Fire Chief John Crater, a 27-year veteran firefighter. “As the City is developing out, it is also expanding upwards with new taller buildings, including hotels and other structures, and this improved ladder truck will provide added capabilities needed to serve our community.”
Among some of the equipment on the new truck are at least 9 different sized ladders ranging in lengths up to 101 feet, with a camera at the tip of the ladder enabling firefighters at ground level to monitor what is happening with a birds-eye view. Additionally, the truck is capable of performing confined space rescues with an underground air monitoring system, supplied air, and communication equipment.
The new ladder truck also houses swift water rescue apparatus including an inflatable boat and related equipment, jaws-oflifeextrication tools and stabilization struts used for trench or other precarious rescues, and both low-angle and high-angle rescue equipment to perform technical rescues. The truck additionally provides enhanced abilities to provide life-saving work such as vertical ventilation and gives firefighters the ability to stay out of the collapse zone on commercial structure fires with an aerial master stream of water.
Mayor Pro-Tem Matt Rahn states, “We are making investments to proudly support the wellbeing and safety of our citizens and fire personnel including updated tools, fleet and apparatus that better enables our Fire Department and first responders to safely and effectively perform life-saving work, and also protect property.”
Since 2016, we’ve opened a new fire station, completed major renovations at another fire station, hired twoFire Captains, an Engineer, an Engineer Medic, two Firefighter II, two Firefighter II Medics, as well as additional Fire Systems Inspectors, replaced a fleet of Fire Inspection/Medic SUVs and trucks, and have now equipped our City with a larger, brand new Fire Ladder Truck,” states Aaron Adams, City Manager.
“Measure S will continue to keep Temecula among the safest in the Nation.”