By Eden Stratton
The Record
TROY, N.Y — The City of Troy Fire Department has officially acquired a new pumper truck that will be added to the fleet, improving department responsiveness and efficiency.
The truck, dubbed “Engine 2,” will be located at the Bouton Road Station, serving the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) district area. Deputy Chief Jared Barringer said while the truck is standardized to the other engines in the fleet, it has some differences to account for the city’s terrain, among other customizations.
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“What’s a little different is we have a 500-horse (power) motor in it, and then it’s geared so that it can handle all the hills that the City of Troy has,” he said. “That’s what we try to standardize. It’s got a stainless body to help through wear and tear over (the) years.”
Fire Chief Richard Cellucci also expressed his happiness that the new engine is out on the force.
“I’ve been in trucks that haven’t been geared properly, and somebody on a bike can pass you on it,” he said. “So, that’s the biggest thing, and the transmission — the gearing. There’s little updates on things that make it easier for our mechanics, better access to certain parts of the vehicle that break often, which is obviously key, and just a quicker turnaround time when it goes out of service, to get it back in service. But other than that, it’s set up pretty much exactly like all of our other vehicles.”
Mayor Carmella Mantello said the addition of the engine to the fleet is a key piece of the puzzle regarding improvements to public safety. While the perimeter is only an eight-mile stretch, she said, Troy’s older infrastructure is prone to fires and necessitates improvements to the department’s ability to react quickly and efficiently.
“You need the equipment in order to get up those hills, to get through the city,” she said. “We are a 50,000-plus (population), and it’s an 8-mile stretch. It seems small, but it’s very condensed. A lot of older infrastructure, older structures, housing that dates back to the late 1800s, the equipment is that much more important, and, obviously, seconds count during a fire, so you need updated equipment.”
“That’s why it’s so important,” Mantello added. “We don’t wait to order things like this, because you have to get in line, now (that) other fire departments are ordering similar equipment. But saying that, it’s all part of our capital plan and capital infrastructure plan, and the investment that we continue putting into our department — it’s critical to get the job done.”
Mantello added that the addition of the new engine is a way to attract more young people to the department and encourage interest in potentially starting a career. In March, the city welcomed six new firefighters to the department during a swearing-in ceremony held at City Hall .
“We are constantly giving neighborhood meetings, or it being high schools, trying to attract the good news, where there is full staffing, fire, police,” she said. “This is good for the kids. It’s good to just show people — this is where your tax dollars are going, so when you look at your tax bills, to provide that public safety infrastructure in the resources so they can get the job done.”
The mayor concluded that continued investment in public safety, especially for the fire department, is vital for the city.
“We make public safety a huge priority here in Troy, whether it be police or fire, and investment is what it’s all about,” she said. “It’s our job to provide those tools, resources, in order for fire police to get the job done, (and) keep our neighborhood streets safer.”
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