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BY HILLARY VIDERS
SPECIAL TO NORTHERN VALLEY PRESS
Englewood, New Jersey—The Englewood Fire Department received a new state-of-the-art fire engine on July 16, said the city manager.
The official unveiling took place Friday morning in front of City Hall, where a prestigious group of Englewood fire officials and community leaders had assembled to welcome the first new city fire engine since 2008.
The $629,784 stainless steel Seagrave fire engine, built in Clintonville, Wisconsin, is 31 feet, 16 inches in length and weighs 23-and-a-half tons. It can hold six people and a large supply of fire apparatus, such as 1,200 feet of hose. Important upgrades include an anti-lock braking system and roll control.
Gathered together to view the new piece of firefighting equipment were Fire Chief Erik Enersen, state Assemblyman Gordon Johnson, city Police Chief Lawrence Suffern, City Manager Ed Hynes, Councilman Charles Cobb, and fire department officials Lt. Joe Hoyle and Capt. Michael Marino.
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1,750 gallons per minute
The new engine will be designated as Engine 3 when put into service, said fire department Lt. Dave Haenelt. He said the Seagrave fire engine cab and chassis model’s name is “Marauder.” Haenelt said the new engine can pump up to 1,750 gallons of water per minute and includes a 750-gallon water tank on board.
“The last engine that we purchased was in 2008. To obtain this updated piece of equipment, we formed a committee of six people in the firehouse two years ago. It took a year of planning and a year to build,” said Marino.
Chief Enersen confirmed that all three shifts of city firefighters are receiving training from representatives sent by the manufacturer, so the new fire engine will be in use very soon.
Announcing its arrival at a July 17 city council meeting, Hynes said the new engine was much needed.
“So we now have it, and it was quite needed. We have old fire equipment that our city desperately needs updated, and the mayor and council made the decision to start to upgrade our equipment,” he noted.
people and has new safety features like an anti-lock braking system and roll control.
FEMA grant awarded
In related news, Hynes announced July 17 that Millennium Strategies had secured a $117,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for city firefighters to be trained on how to use radio equipment effectively.
The senior officers will first be trained and then train city firefighters how to use the equipment, Hynes said.
The city manager said the grant was a “win-win” for the city because it will likely lower city insurance costs when all firefighters are trained on effective radio communications.
– Michael Olohan contributed to this article
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