OFD’s newest ‘squirt’ engine

ONEIDA>> The Oneida Fire Department welcomed the newest member to its fleet of engines in the waning days of September, replacing a squirter engine that could no longer safely be used on roadways.

The OFD’s latest acquisition is a $748,000 2016 Smeal “Squirt” engine which the City of Oneida secured through a bond, says OFD Chief Kevin Salerno.

Salerno explained that because the old “squirt” had a crack in its frame, it was no longer safe or legal for use on roads, necessitating the purchase of the new engine. Furthermore, the city fire department has fleet requirements it must adhere based on analysis from the Insurance Service Office (ISO), which is responsible for setting fire insurance rates in the city based on the department’s equipment and staffing, as well as city water supply and population. In order to maintain current rates, the OFD needed to replace the previous 1994 Squirt, not just drop it from the fleet altogether.

Salerno says the department must have two engines, a backup engine and tower engine - the

tower engine is necessitated by the commercial properties in the city that exceed 100 feet in elevation - to keep with current rates.

Since being put into service in the OFD fleet, the new squirter, purchased from engine manufacturer Har Rob in Syracuse, has been on a number of calls but has yet to see a major fire, Salerno said.

The OFD even found a way to put the old squirter to good use by donating it - Salerno says the water gun on the 1994 engine is still functional - to the Madison County Office of Emergency Management for use in the training facility the county plans to develop for departments across the county.

“It’s [still] perfect for that,” Salerno said. “Awin- win for everybody.”

The OFD’s firefighting fleet consists of five trucks (not counting the chief’s pickup truck and another one):

• 2016 Smeal “Squirt” engine

• 1998 Suffin Tower Ladder engine

• 2008 Suffin Pumper engine

• 2010 Suffin Pumper engine

• 2016 F- 450 Rescue truck

JOHN BREWER — ONEIDA DAILY DISPATCH Oneida City firefighters check out the squirter on the 2016“Squirt” engine.

JOHN BREWER — ONEIDA DISPATCH Since being put into service in the OFD fleet, the new squirter, purchased from engine manufacturer Har Rob in Syracuse, has been on a number of calls but has yet to see a major fire, Salerno said.