The City of Selkirk’s newest fire truck, Engine 16, hit the streets this past fall and it’s a shining representation of the best technology available to keep the public, and city firefighters, safe.
The Selkirk Fire Department (SFD) did the ceremonial “push in” on September 8th at the annual SFD open house, signifying the long-standing tradition dating back to the 1800s. Once done after crews returned from a call on horse-drawn equipment when the animals were unable to back into the station, crews would detach the horses and push the equipment into the bay manually. Now, with innovation and technology, the need to manually move equipment is gone but the tradition lives on to welcome the delivery or initiation of a new apparatus.
With a price tag of just under $1 million, the new truck is also representative of the rapidly increasing cost municipalities are faced with to ensure public safety.
The Selkirk Fire Department’s new pumper truck is loaded with technology that makes safety a priority and saves firefighters crucial time in emergency situations. The truck features SAM (Scene Apparatus Manager) technology, an integrated total waterflow control system that manages the vehicle’s pump, tank, intakes and discharges.
Its arrival keeps the Department’s fleet to five, including Engine 15 (Ladder Truck), the city’s last purchase prior to this truck, and replaces Engine 11, which has been listed for sale.
Selkirk CAO Duane Nicol says Engine 16 and all the city’s firefighting equipment are critical infrastructure, and they have always been expensive. But costs for firefighting are rising astronomically and the city will never again purchase a new unit for less than $1 million.
“Our city has a top-tier volunteer fire department and our firefighters are second to none,” Nicol said.
“Fire equipment has always been a major purchase but costs now, due in large part to the incredible advancements in technology, are rising far beyond the rate of inflation and at an incredibly rapid pace.”
Nicol said the cost of trucks has risen dramatically over the last five years, and so too have wait times for build and delivery. And even when a price is quoted, it’s not guaranteed throughout the duration of the build and can increase if the cost of parts goes up.
Fire trucks and other equipment, from turnout gear to self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) are paid for through tax dollars. The city’s 2024 budget included $111,644 for six (6) new SCBA units which include harness, face mask and two air tanks. SCBA units are used by firefighters when entering a burning building, or fighting a fire or hazardous materials incident that may contain harmful chemicals to allow them to breathe in clean air.
“Council and administration work hard to keep taxes affordable, but the inflation of specialized equipment that the fire department requires far outpaces the rate at which we have seen property taxes increase,” Nicol said.
“The equipment is essential. We have to keep up with technology to keep the public and our firefighters safe. Engine 16 is ergonomic and that results in fewer injuries to our firefighters, who respond to about 300 calls every year. The advancements in new firefighting equipment allows our firefighters to fight smarter and safer – not harder, and that’s critical to success.”
“The advancements in new firefighting equipment allows our firefighters to fight smarter and safer — not harder, and that’s critical to success.
Duane Nicol, Chief Administrative Officer
Kristy Hill, Selkirk’s Director of Protective Services says replacing Engine 11 with 16 was identified through the City’s Capital Asset Management Program and is aligned with the City’s Community Strategic Plan, which makes having a safe and healthy community and more active management of capital assets a priority.
“Fire trucks are critical pieces of city infrastructure. While a lot of resources go into good operation and maintenance of our fire equipment, timely capital replacement is also required. The replacement of this pumper represents not only an investment into Selkirk’s volunteer fire department – but an investment into the security and safety of every citizen of Selkirk,” Hill said.
The truck was featured at the University of Manitoba’s Vehicle Technology Centre for its ‘This is How We Roll’, vehicle and equipment showcase before landing in Selkirk. The showcase highlights advanced technology and careers available to students.
The truck was built by Winnipeg-based Fort Garry Firetrucks, originally meant to showcase new safety features and technology available for those departments looking to design and purchase a fire truck.
Prior to this truck becoming available, the city was already in the process of going through a Request for Proposal for the purchase of a new truck, however the timeline to build a brand-new truck was quoted to be between 24 and 36 months, with no guarantees that additional delays wouldn’t occur that would extend the timeline. Purchasing the demo truck allowed the Selkirk Fire Department to get the truck in much sooner, benefit from increased technology with a lower price tag and greatly reduce the amount of staff time required for this project, allowing them to focus on other activities in the city.
