Fire Chief Geoff Joyce says the Spartan S-180 2107 engine will support the department in its firefighting, emergency medical services, and vehicle extraction work, with room to grow.
By Matt Skoufalos | July 2, 2024
Collingswood Fire Lt. Ed Glaze (left) and Chief Geoff Joyce take delivery of a new pumper engine. Credit: Matt Skoufalos.
Collingswood Fire Department took delivery of a new apparatus Tuesday morning, a Spartan Emergency Response S-180 2107 model pumper engine.
The $787,000 vehicle is the newest vehicle to join the department fleet since it added a Seagrave custom pumper in 2009, and will perform firefighting, rescue, and emergency medical operations for the department.
At nearly 32 feet in length, the Spartan pumper is shorter than the Seagrave, but satisfies the same operational needs, and with added capacity for growth.
Noteworthy, too, is that the borough was able to have the engine designed, ordered, and in hand within only a 10-month build time.
Mike Robertson, District Sales Manager for Campbell Supply of South Brunswick, which helped the department procure the apparatus, said Collingswood cut as many as two to three years off the anticipated production schedule by working with a partially rather than a fully customized design.
The S-180 Spartan program offers eight pre-built models of the most popular body configurations sold nationwide by its 28 dealers. That ordering process limits the available customization of those models, but dramatically cuts delivery times, which continue to average 36 months nationally, according to Fire Apparatus magazine.
“For a customer that needs a truck quickly, it allows them to get it much quicker than a three to four-year lead time,” Robertson said. “It also saves about $100,000 of the cost of a true customized truck.”
The 2107 model is the third-most common apparatus configuration sold by Spartan, Robertson said, and will be used to perform squad (rescue and vehicle extraction) operations as well as engine (fire suppression) duties from the Collingswood fire station.
Robertson said the department can expect to get 15 to 20 years of service from the new vehicle with annual and preventive maintenance; it also is protected by a two-year, bumper-to-bumper warranty.
Comparatively, the department has struggled to keep the Seagrave pumper in service due to issues with its exhaust system, Collingswood Fire Chief Geoff Joyce said.
“This new engine has all the same capabilities as our old engine, just with more reliable technology,” Joyce said. “It was desperately needed, and it’s going to serve the community.”
Last year, Collingswood sold off its 2007 Seagrave ladder engine to the Camden City Fire Department for $125,000, which went to help offset the cost of the Spartan pumper.
Collingswood Spartan #2107 Pumper Truck. Credit: Matt Skoufalos.
The chief has said that any need for a ladder apparatus would be fulfilled by mutual aid response from departments in neighboring communities like Westmont and Oaklyn, both of which fleets contain vehicles with aerial capabilities.
Meanwhile at the July 1 meeting of the municipal government, the borough authorized the disposal for scrap of its 1983 American LaFrance engine, which has degraded to the point of inoperability.
“This is a glorious day for Collingswood Fire Department,” Joyce said. “Thanks to the taxpayers and the borough commissioners.”
The Collingswood Fire Department will host a push-in ceremony in September to introduce the public to the new engine, the chief said.
