- A fire truck is the newest addition to Kern County Fire Station 21, and is the first model of its kind in the whole county.
- The new fire truck has features that their old truck wasn't equipped with, like accessibility to tools on both sides and electronic equipment that is easier to maneuver. Even a new ladder that's 102 ft long compared to their old ladder which was 85 ft.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
In rural communities like Taft, Emergency services need to reach well beyond the city limits. Inside Taft Fire Station 21 there a new trucks made unique, in the world of emergency services.
“Every step of the way has been improved to make this truck better for the community,” says Capt. Andrew Freeborn.
Taft's fire crew has been waiting 2 years for this new 1 million dollar fire truck to arrive at station 21.
Andrew Freeborn, Kern County Fire PIO, tells me every option was explored, then chosen and built, so this would be the greatest use of the resources for the firefighters and the community.
The new fire truck has features that their old truck wasn't equipped with, like accessibility to tools on both sides and electronic equipment that is easier to maneuver. Even a new ladder that's 102 ft long compared to their old ladder which was 85 ft.
Jon Drucker, Kern County Fire PIO tells me that even when working on roadways, and in heavy traffic, this truck has their back.
“A nice creature you see here is that these are mirrors, and when you come here to pull a ladder off the back, you can actually see what’s going on behind you,” says Jon Drucker.
Freeborn says there is more room on this truck not only for tools but to carry more firefighters.
Another special feature I was shown was a compartment that stores items with carcinogens on them in a separate to protect the health of firefighters.
“They’re getting there faster, more maneuverable, and now while they're on scene they're shaving second after second off of things throughout the process” continues Freeborn.
More models like this will be coming to Kern County fire stations in the near future.
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