Santa Cruz Fire Department fetes new fire engine

SANTA CRUZ — Ready to hit the streets of Santa Cruz, fire engine 3113 features a number of “aggressive” new fire suppression features.

The new maroon-colored fire engine, a 2023 Pierce Enforcer Fire Pumper whose purchase was approved by city leaders for up to $850,000 in November, features a 750-gallon water tank — the largest in the city fleet — and a 1,500-gallon-per-minute pump, for starters.

“For context, you could fill the average residential swimming pool in 12 minutes flat,” Santa Cruz Fire Chief Rob Oatey told a small crowd Monday at his department’s Younglove Avenue fire station. “We’re not offering that as a service, just a little bit of background.”

Oatey’s comments, eliciting chuckles from his audience, came before more than a dozen firefighters rolled up their figurative sleeves and literally pushed the fire truck several feet backward into its bay. For the first time in its history, the Santa Cruz Fire Department threw a small “push-in ceremony” to welcome the fleet’s latest addition. Though never known to be performed in Santa Cruz, such push-ins are a firehouse tradition harkening back to the 1700s, when fire apparatus was moved by hand, or horses that did not take kindly to backing up.

Firefighters from throughout the SCFD are joined by city officials as the department’s new engine is readied to be pushed in to the Younglove Avenue station. (Shmuel Thaler - Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Engineer John Forbes steers the engine as firefighters push SCFD’s new 3113 into the Younglove Avenue fire station on Monday. (Shmuel Thaler - Santa Cruz Sentinel)

The push-in ceremony is reflected on Monday in one of the mirrors on SCFD’s new Engine 3113. (Shmuel Thaler - Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Engine 3113 sits in front of the Younglove Avenue fire station prior to the ceremonial push-in. (Shmuel Thaler - Santa Cruz Sentinel)

“But this is more than just pushing a vehicle into a station. It’s a physical and symbolic gesture signifying the collective strength of the firefighting team. It is a demonstration of the unwavering support that firefighters provide to one another, a testament to the trust and reliance that binds them as a family,” Oatey said. “In the midst of the sweat and strain of pushing the apparatus, there is a unity of purpose. Each push, each drop of sweat, represents the shared determination to uphold the values of bravery, sacrifice and selflessness. It symbolizes our readiness to respond to the call of duty, no matter the circumstance.”

Mayor Fred Keeley, on hand with Councilmember Scott Newsome, Police Chief Bernie Escalante and City Manager Matt Huffaker, among other city officials, stressed that “the core function of local government is public safety” during opening remarks. Keeley noted that fire agencies have expanded beyond the confines of traditional firefighting duties and now spend much of their time responding to medical emergencies.

Gesturing at the new fire truck, Keeley added, “This, however, is the key to what the fire department does.”

In addition to its increased water storage and speedier pumping power, some new engine features include firefighter breathing apparatus storage located on the cab’s exterior, an undivided front window that eliminates a standard blind spot and 12-volt LED lighting that removes the need for noisy and polluting generators, according to Oatey.

As delivery times on fire trucks have significantly increased in recent years, the new pumper engine’s arrival seven months after its purchase was quite fast, according to Oatey. For comparison, the department ordered a custom-made engine in January 2022 that will not arrive until December. Ordering such an engine today would require a three to four-year wait, he said. Engine 3113, however, was an off-the-shelf model that bears similarities to the Santa Cruz fleet, though it is too tall to fit in its originally intended downtown Santa Cruz station, Oatey said.

“Again, I talked about the 750-gallon water tank. It’s an increased capacity and it’s no accident that it’s here on the Westside,” Oatey said, comparing other engines’ 500-gallon tanks. “This capacity is going to be perfect for the Westside, the commercial district that we have and of course the North Coast, that has zero hydrants or a very limited supply. So, again, very intentional. As well as the bigger pump, 1,500 gallons per minute, increased capacity for large commercial buildings out here on the Westside.”