New firetruck is loaded

Spokane Valley residents may have noticed a new fire engine in town. Spokane Valley Fire Engine Seven has diagonal reflective stripes on the back and a spinning, flashing light mounted above the front bumper to set it apart from the rest.

“It rotates like something out of Star Trek,” said paramedic Rich Bruce.

The light is there for people to notice if the fire engine is close to traffic and trying to get by. “This would be right there in their rearview mirror,” said driver and paramedic Joe Kopp.

The new engine is based at Station 7 at 12th Avenue and Evergreen Road, the department’s busiest station, that covers the area south of Sprague Avenue between Pines and Sullivan roads. Crews work shifts of 24 hours on, 48 hours off. “It’s very rarely that we sleep through the night,” Bruce said.

The engine, the first of its kind at Valley Fire, has a lot of gadgets that the public won’t likely notice but are extremely useful to the firefighters. For example, the pump has presets so operators can hit one button to get water flowing instead of dialing it up manually.

The water cannon on the roof is operated by remote control. Other engines require a firefighter to climb on top of the truck and operate the cannon manually. “We can be away from the engine and direct it where we want,” Kopp said.

There are also a series of lights on the side to indicate when the water level in the 500-gallon tank is getting low. It can be seen well away from the truck and means the operator doesn’t have to stand and watch gauges. “This is something he can see without staying at the pump panel,” said paramedic Dave Baird.

The engine can pump 1,250 gallons a minute, which means the water in the tank won’t last long. “This is just buying us enough time to hook up to a hydrant,” Bruce said.

Doors on the side roll up to reveal equipment. The older engines have lift-out doors that could be damaged if crews forgot they were open and tried to drive out of the station. Self-contained breathing apparatus can be released with a tug on a handle. “You used to have to reach behind you, find a red cord and pull,” Bruce said.

There is also more room for medical equipment. The price for all this convenience is an engine that is wider and taller than most of the other engines the department has. “This actually won’t fit in our older stations,” Bruce said.

But that’s a price that has been easy to pay and the engine is gaining fans. “They’re easier to operate,” Kopp said.