WHITE CITY, Ore. – Local firefighters are welcoming some new engines to their fleet.
Fire District 3 said they’ve just acquired two custom Pierce Type 1 fire engines, numbered 7701 and 7702. They’ll be stationed in White City and Central Point.
The engines offer a number of improvements over the old ones, which will be relegated to backups for the next 10-15 years. This reserve role allows other vehicles that have served the community for decades to be permanently retired.
Fire District 3 provided the following statement attributed to Central Point Station Captain Will Clelland:
“The arrival of these new trucks is exciting for our community members and firefighters alike. We are always grateful to be able to operate the highest quality fire trucks in the world and understand it is a real privilege to have the support of our Board of Directors and the communities we serve.
“These fire engines are especially meaningful as they complete, for the first time, a vision that one of our previous teammates had. In the mid 1990s, now retired Operations Chief Barry Hoffman had the vision of creating a completely customized fleet of fire engines for all of the District’s stations. At the time this was a major undertaking as we had traditionally purchased commercially available truck chassis and then turned them into fire engines. He wanted to make sure our citizens and crews had the best apparatus available. It has taken 25 years and significant financial commitment but we now have a fleet that has the characteristics he envisioned. The capabilities of these trucks and the safety they can provide our crews is unmatched. The technology they employ and the functionality they offer is world class. We are incredibly thankful to him and the others who made that dream into a reality we enjoy today.
“Please remember that these are your fire engines, please stop by, or say hi when you see us around town to check them out or hear the bell.”
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