The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service has a new tool to help firefighters at the scenes of fires or rescues. Starting next week, crews will use a new platform aerial ladder truck to respond to emergencies from WFPS Station 1 (65 Ellen St.).
What is a platform aerial ladder?
A platform ladder truck is a fire engine with a 100-foot ladder on top. The ladder has a place to stand on the top so firefighters can get up high to fight fires or rescue people.
This truck also has:
- Dual deck guns that spray water from two places so firefighters can create a “wall of water” instead of one stream.
- A 20 kilowatt generator so the main engine doesn’t have to idle. This helps prevent wear and tear on the vehicle.
- Winter tires to help firefighters navigate winter roads and slippery conditions
- The ability for crews to anchor the truck on one side so firefighters can lower the ladder below ground level. They can use this to rescue someone from a pit or other challenging situation.
When will crews use it?
WFPS dispatches engines, a rescue vehicle, an ambulance, a supervisor, and a ladder truck as a standard response to many fire and rescue calls. These tools are important to help crews save people or to put out the fire.
Ladder 1 responds to more than 4,200 calls for service every year, averaging more than 11 calls every 24 hours. This new truck will replace the current one.
Since this truck replaces an older one, it doesn’t increase our total ladder trucks. However, it ensures our vehicles continue to be replaced before they fail. In emergency services, vehicle maintenance is critical because crews must be ready to respond at a moment’s notice.
The 2020 Strategic Direction highlighted the need for more aerial ladders in Winnipeg to respond to a growing population. WFPS operates a total of 6 ladder trucks across the city, including “stick ladders” where there is no basket to stand in on the end, and platform ladders where we can lift firefighters up in a basket.