LENOIR, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — There’s a brand-new fire truck in Caldwell County.
The City of Lenoir announced the addition of Engine 2, a 2023 Sutphen rescue pumper being housed at Fire Station No. 2, serving the southern end of town.
The city said it should help reduce response times.
Engine 2 plus the equipment needed for it cost the city $738,900. It can flow 1,500 gallons of water per minute, and it includes a complete set of battery-powered extraction tools. Engine 2 is powered by a Cummins L9, six-cylinder, 450-horsepower, diesel engine.
“Thank you to the mayor, the manager, council, the finance director, and our firefighters for making this happen,” Fire Chief Norman Staines said. “I inherited this project. It was well underway when I started, but I got to come in and see the truck delivered.”
The truck was a demonstration vehicle that Sutphen took around the country to show off to other fire departments. The same truck today would reportedly cost around $1 million.
“This is a great addition to the Fire Department,” Mayor Joe Gibbons said Oct. 27. “We would like to dedicate this truck today to our City of Lenoir firefighters, who do such a great job.”
In addition to the new Engine 2, the Lenoir Fire Department has 10 more apparatus including two fire engines, two ladder trucks and an ambulance.
The department will also now have a reserve engine, Engine 11, which will improve the City’s ISO rating, which determines how well a fire department can protect the community.
