EDISON — All the new heavy duty fire truck was missing was a shiny red bow.
Mayor Thomas Lankey, Fire Chief Brian Latham and members of the Edison Fire Department accepted the delivery of its first heavy duty rescue truck on Oct. 4 in front of the Edison Municipal Complex.
Edison Township bought the vehicle, a 2017 Spartan ERV, at $530,076 through competitive bidding from Campbell Supply LLC of South Brunswick.
Spartan ERV is a fire protection equipment supplier in Brandon, South Dakota. Campbell Supply Company is a manufacturer dealer for Spartan, which deals with emergency vehicles.
“This was a good price for the size and the types of rescues the truck will be used for,” Latham said.
Scott Campbell, president of Campbell Supply LLC, and Ryan Bailey, sales manager at Campbell, were on hand.
Campbell said the truck was delivered to them two weeks ago and they made sure the truck was detailed and ready to go.
“We have a rich history with Edison having been selling fire trucks to the township since the late 1950s,” he said adding that they sold the 1996 truck that the department is now retiring.
The rescue truck will be assigned to the Clara Barton Fire Station on Amboy Avenue and will be used across the township.
The Edison Fire Department has 141 members.
Latham said when researching trucks they wanted something to mirror a rescue truck that the fire departments in New York City have been using.
“This truck has a city flavor,” he said. “It will make the department self-sufficient for the most part and allows us to support other surrounding areas.”
Latham said in the near future the department wants to be able to have water rescue capabilities.
The Edison Fire Department was previously using a 1996 rescue ambulance transport truck that mostly carried equipment for motor vehicle accidents, and very little fire equipment.
“We had a separate support vehicle, which was given to us by Public Works, that just held equipment,” Latham said, adding that on calls other than motor vehicle accidents, the members would have to travel back to the station for the other equipment.
Latham said all the equipment essential for firefighting and rescue can be held in the new heavy duty rescue truck due to its roomy storage compartments.
“This saves time,” he said. “This vehicle will enhance the Fire Division’s ability to have all necessary equipment readily available to firefighters at any emergency scene.”
Latham said with the new truck, they will be retiring the older rescue trucks.
Since 2014, the Lankey Administration has invested more than $4.5 million in essential firefighting apparatus, rescue equipment, and to replace aging fire vehicles.
Lankey said public safety has been a top priority for his administration, which includes making sure the fire department is supplied with the equipment they need.
“We have a great department with great individuals,” he said. “We want to make sure we stay current and the members are able to do their job properly.”
