New vehicle carrying tools for “complex situations” goes into service
Next rig up: Heavy Rescue 1 replaces Squad 11, which will remain in KFD inventory. (Photo/Ken Jackson)
If there’s there a piece of equipment a member of the Kissimmee Fire Department might need to fight a fire, save a life, or get a good result out of a “complex emergency,” it’s likely on Kissimmee Fire Department’s Heavy Rescue 1.
It officially went into service Thursday with a traditional “wet-down, push-back” ceremony Thursday at Station 11 near downtown.
The 54,000-pound piece of heavy machinery (truer words never spoken) allows KFD firefighters to respond directly to complex emergencies, car accidents with entrapment and vehicle extraction, confined-space rescues, and high-angle operations without waiting for specialized or transport units to come on scene.
“Where a standard fire engine primarily focuses on pumping water and fire suppression, a heavy rescue truck carries specialized tools and highly trained firefighters for situations where people are trapped, injured, or in dangerous environments,” Kissimmee Fire Chief Jim Walls said.
The heavy rescue team will be able to respond to complex and technical rescue situations, including building collapses, high angle rope rescues from billboards and radio antennas, cranes and tall buildings, confined space rescues and tunnels, sewers and tanks.
The heavy truck also transports a wide range of heavy equipment including hydraulic tools, lifting air bags, cutting torches, chainsaws, concrete breakers, thermal imaging cameras and other medical equipment, including at the top of a staircase accessible at the rear, making the unit like a two-story rolling facility.
“In simple terms, a heavy rescue response when a situation is complicated, dangerous, and requires specialized tools and skills to save lives,” Walls said. “We're really proud of this unit, it will enhance the safety and protection of our community.”
Heavy Rescue 1, which will be housed at Station 11 on Clyde Avenue, replaced a smaller Squad 11 unit, which Walls said will remain in stock as supplemental stock.
Heavy Rescue 1 is just part of Kissimmee’s investment in the fire department, as city officials said two new fire stations are slated to break ground in the coming year.
