ABOVE: From left, firefighters Jacob Newton, Joe Schwickerath and Andrew Olsen are pictured with a new technical rescue unit.
Chesterfield Fire and Emergency Management Services has a new technical rescue unit.
The new tractor trailer, which cost $443,565, was delivered in April. It will carry shoring equipment that can be used when responding to building collapses, trench rescues and other calls, Capt. Dave Schweiger said.
The new unit, which will be housed at Fire Station No. 17 at 9501 Chester Road, replaces a 1994 trailer that had reached end of life and had no additional room for new equipment due to weight restrictions.
“The new technical rescue unit will be able to carry more equipment that includes lumber, confined space entry equipment, cutting torches and air monitoring equipment,” Lt. Jason Elmore said.
The department also recently purchased two fire engines for a total of $1.21 million and a platform ladder truck for $1.24 million. They will arrive later this year, Elmore said.
“The new fire engines and ladder truck were purchased as part of our replacement schedule for apparatus,” Elmore said. “It is imperative that our firefighters have apparatus that operates at a high level while they are performing firefighting operations for their safety and the safety of our community.”
Crews have been conducting extensive driver training and operations of the vehicle’s electrical components due to the size of the new unit.
The fire department has used technical rescue for a number of incidents over the years, including the collapse of a two-story condominium that was under construction in Chester Village Green in September 2008 where one person died.
More recently, technical rescue responded to a four-vehicle crash in the 8100 block of Hopkins Road last September.
