Upper Darby houses new $1.4 million ladder truck
UPPER DARBY » It was a red-letter day at Upper Darby Fire Station 37 Tuesday as township officials, firefighters and a few members of the public turned out in a socially distanced manner to officially house the township’s new 100-foot Seagrave Ladder Truck 37.
The $1.2 million fire truck replaces a 20-yearold ladder truck and allows the department to stay within national standards for front line apparatus, according to Fire Chief Derrick Sawyer.
“It also helps men do their jobs better because they have a piece of equipment they can depend on and it helps the community because we can get there on time and make sure our equipment doesn’t break down in the middle of a fire,” Sawyer said.
The truck has enclosed seating for all firefighters. The ladder truck has a specialized job to perform rescues and to ventilate a structure. The ladder has a 250-pound load capability at the tip and more than 200 feet of ground ladders. The truck comes equipped with LED emergency and scene lighting. Its shorter wheelbase allows crews to maneuver the narrow streets in the eastern neighborhoods of the township.
The truck was delivered in October and crews have been mounting equipment and training on the new unit since that time. Sawyer said the department is also investigating the replacement of two other specialized units, a squirt and a rescue squad, which will depend on the capital budget constraints.
Sawyer said the new truck also fits into the departments goals for the year which include increased training, and a hiring a new fire marshal.
Truck 37 ’s Company patch is prominently displayed on the rig and remembers Firefighter Byron Evans known as the Bywood Ninja in the department. He died March 2016. He was a volunteer at Cardington Fire Co. and was later employed as a career firefighter and a member of IAFF Local 2493. He was a recipient of numerous awards for his selfless service in the line of duty.
Sawyer said firefighters have been careful during the pandemic with safe procedures. He said a couple of firefighters had COVID issues but had recovered. They’ve updated protocols and proper interaction in the station to minimize spread.
“We’ve been doing a pretty decent job of keeping everyone safe,” Sawyer said.
Upper Darby Mayor Barbarann Keffer was on hand and checked out the view from the driver seat declaring it ready.
“It does have that new car smell,” she said.
At the short ceremony, Rev. Jeffrey Rott of St. Laurence Church and Pastor Stephen Keiser of Christ Lutheran Church blessed the truck and all the firefighters who will ride in it.
Crews then rolled the truck out front for a traditional ceremony with members of township council and the mayor pushing the new rig into the station, followed a final time by the officers and firefighters to officially “house” the new unit.