Pine Bluff firefighters used a little manpower at the front bumper — and behind the wheel — to simulate a ceremonial push-in of the latest addition to their fleet Monday morning, hearkening back to a time when men had to walk the earliest apparatuses into the garage.
The city’s Fire and Emergency Services Department dedicated a 2023 Pierce 100-foot tower vehicle at Fire Station No. 1 at the Civic Center. The $1.6 million apparatus replaces a 1988 ladder truck that Chief Shauwn Howell says will be auctioned off, and when it was brought back outside, Mayor Shirley Washington went for a ride in the new ladder bucket with Howell and Engineer LaRaven Canada.
“I’m amazed at what this fire truck can do, how close it can get to the fire without getting close to the fire at the same time,” she said after taking in a panoramic view of Pine Bluff from downtown. “The way it can pivot up, down and move forward, and I like the capacity it has to go over bodies of water without having to walk out there. This will extend the firefighters out and down to the level otherwise, so I think that’s pretty amazing.”
In addition, the city also invested $805,000 in a 2023 engine that is stationed at the Joe Edwards No. 2 station on West Pullen Avenue but was on display at No. 1 Monday. That was dedicated in April and replaced an engine from 2010.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Both new vehicles are dressed with $50,000 worth of equipment. The city invested $2.5 million in purchases, using extra revenue from the tax money generated by Saracen Casino Resort, Washington said. The ladder is financed for five years, while the engine is paid in full.
“They’re much quieter,” Howell said of the new vehicles. “They’re much more efficient (and follow) EPA guidelines, so they’re quieter, better on pollution. The ability of the mid-mount gives you greater flexibility for going lower and higher. It also adds stability to the truck. You don’t have to add all that weight to the back of the truck. It’s in the middle of the truck.”
The engine without the ladder is mainly used for routine and residential fires, Howell said.
Station Nos. 1 and 5 (on Miramar Drive) each have a ladder and engine, while the other five stations each have an engine. The new ladder will respond to large fires east of Hazel Street.
A new fire tower truck is displayed at Pine Bluff Fire Station No. 1 on Monday, June 10, 2024. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)
Engineer Desmond Fuller operates the ladder from the new Pine Bluff fire tower truck at Station No. 1. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)
The grill on the new Pine Bluff fire engine is designed with the Stars and Stripes. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)
Engineer LaRaven Canada communicates with Station No. 1 Captain Bruce Bailey as she comes down in the new fire ladder bucket. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)
Pine Bluff Mayor Shirley Washington and Fire Chief Shauwn Howell wave at the crowd in mid-air while inside the new fire ladder bucket. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)