The zero-emission Rosenbauer RT truck will replace a gas-powered fire engine by early 2023, reducing carcinogens at the scene of incidents it attends
The Rosenbauer RT fire truck
The zero-emission Rosenbauer RT truck will replace a gas-powered fire engine by early 2023, reducing carcinogens at the scene of incidents it attends
The City of Brampton announced on Wednesday that it will become the first municipality in Ontario to deploy an electric fire truck. In a unanimous decision, city council approved the decision to purchase a Rosenbauer RT to replace a front-line pumper.
The Rosenbauer RT is the market’s first fully electric fire truck capable of meeting current firefighting standards. The roughly $1.6 million vehicle produces zero emissions both during travel and while on site. Austria-based Rosenbauer first previewed a prototype of the vehicle in Vancouver, Canada in January, 2020 as part of a North American tour.
“At the City of Brampton, we are working to build an increasingly sustainable community in everything that we do as a Green City. I congratulate Brampton Fire and Emergency Services on their effort to secure Ontario’s first fully electric fire truck, said Patrick Brown, Mayor of Brampton. “Brampton is a world class city, and we are proud to join others who are working to increase resilience to climate change and lower emissions while keeping our communities safe.”
Over a dozen fire departments from British Columbia attended the Vancouver demo, but it is unclear which, if any, made an order at that time. Earlier this year, the City of Victoria announced they were adding five electric Cheverolt Bolts to their fire prevention department as replacement vehicles for three gas-powered pick up trucks and two mid-sized SUVs.
Fighting fires and pollution
Brampton expects its new electric fire truck to arrive in Q4 of 2022 and to be operational by early 2023. It will be stationed at the Brampton Fire Campus, which is currently under construction. With the purchase, Brampton will join cities such as Berlin, Amsterdam, Dubai, Los Angeles and Vancouver. These jurisdictions have already deployed electric front-line emergency response vehicles such as fire trucks and ambulances.
In addition to the environmental benefits, Rosenbauer says their vehicle protects the health of firefighters as the lack of gas combustion reduces their intake of carcinogens. Other features include air suspension that allows the truck to be raised up to 18.5 inches off the ground and to be lowered to 6.8 inches, as well as a compact design that allows the truck to navigate through narrow spaces.
“On behalf of the Brampton Fire and Emergency Services team, I want to express our excitement over the Rosenbauer RT, a fully electric fire truck. The truck has many exciting features, from reducing carcinogens on scene, to the latest in ergonomic technologies, and will help enable us to become a leader in environmental sustainability. We look forward to using it to protect our community,” said Bill Boyes, chief of Brampton Fire and Emergency Services.
— DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) April 29, 2021
A refreshingly quiet electric Rosenbauer fire truck on demonstration in Washington, D.C.
