Greenwood’s newest ladder truck, Ladder No. 1, wasn’t just ordered from a catalog.
Instead, it was the direct result of input from a small group of veteran firefighters, said Greenwood Fire Chief Marcus Banks.
“What people don’t understand about these custom-built fire trucks is they build them from the wheels up. If you don’t specify what you want — a piece of equipment, a light here or a nozzle there — you don’t get it,” he said.
Banks was one of five members of the specification committee. Others included city Fire Marshal Victor Stokes, Capt. Scott Hemphill, Capt. Tony Brown and Training Chief Martrellis McDowell.
Banks said Ladder No. 1 is likely to be placed into service around Feb. 2. He said building the $655,000 ladder truck — which will have a 25-year life span and which will take the city 10 years to pay for — required specific knowledge of the fire service.
“There’s a lot of work that goes into a truck of this magnitude. Guys like these, whatever you forget, they’re there to catch it,” he said.
The chief said the men on the ladder committee are extremely qualified.
“Tony’s been around trucks and stuff for about 30 years. McDowell has been in the game for almost 20. It’s good to have that knowledge base,” Banks said.
“All of us were drivers at one time, and we have that driver’s perspective,” he said. “It’s their truck. It’s not my truck.”
The ladder truck was built in two phases.
The base truck and ladder assembly was “pre-built” by E-One, a fire equipment manufacturer located in Ocala, Fla. Once that pre-build work was completed, the ladder truck was moved to SunbeltFire in Fair Hope, Ala. for final outfitting.
“We were with it from the beginning to the end,” Banks said.
The input of the ladder committee helped fellow firefighters by developing standards that will last.
“I want them to be comfortable,” Banks said. “I want everything where they can reach it — all the bells and whistles they want on the truck.”
Ladder No. 1 can reach seven stories, and there’s a reason why the department chose it, Banks said: “We want to be visionary about what our needs will be in 10 to 25 years.”
McDowell said Ladder No. 1 is “a great addition to the fleet” and “a very firefighter-friendly apparatus.”
Brown said Alan Gho, a territory manager with SunbeltFire, was attentive to what the firefighters wanted, adding, “Alan has always been there for us.”
Brown also said Ladder No. 1 was built right by E-One. “They make one of the safest trucks that’s out there right now,” he said.
Ladder No. 1 features a reinforced steel cab, backup cameras and electronic stability control to prevent loss of handling due to road conditions.
McDowell said it’s also possible to get on the ladder at ground level instead of climbing atop the truck.
Banks said E-One will be conducting training sessions over the next few weeks, making sure the firefighters are fully aware of the new truck’s capabilities.
• Contact Bob Darden at 581-7239 or bdarden@gwcommonwealth.com.
