(KIWA Staff Photo)
Orange City, Iowa (Sioux County Radio) — The Orange City Fire Department is preparing to place a new $1.8 million tower truck into service, adding an articulating platform and upgraded scene lighting to its emergency-response capabilities.
Tower 61 replaces the department’s 1998 Ladder 61, which featured a traditional 105-foot aerial ladder. Fire Chief Dan Roghair says the department evaluated its needs through Orange City’s long-term vehicle replacement process before pursuing the new truck.
The city funded Tower 61 as part of its strategic planning. Roghair says the department supplies projected replacement timelines for its vehicles, allowing major purchases to be planned years in advance.
Platform Adds New Reach
The former Ladder 61 used a straight aerial ladder — often called a “stick” in the fire service. The new truck features a 101-foot platform that gives firefighters a bucket-like working area.
Tower 61’s platform can also articulate downward about 10 feet, allowing firefighters to reach the back side of a peaked roof or lower the platform behind a raised storefront wall, known as a parapet.
Roghair says no other department in the immediate area has that type of an articulating platform. While the new truck’s maximum reach is four feet shorter than the former ladder, the articulation provides additional positioning options.
The truck also includes enhanced LED scene lighting that can be elevated over an emergency scene.
The elevated lighting will be particularly beneficial at rural scenes where other sources of illumination may be limited.
Training Before Tower 61 Enters Service
Tower 61 is about six to seven feet longer than the department’s previous aerial truck. Roghair says it will not be placed into service until firefighters complete training on its controls, safety procedures, and other new features.
The department has scheduled three training sessions for August 5th and 6th. Tower 61 is expected to officially enter service Friday, August 7th.
Orange City’s former Ladder 61 is being purchased by the Salix Fire Department. After Orange City completes its training and places the new truck into service, Orange City firefighters will help train Salix personnel on operating the 1998 ladder truck.
Roghair says it took about three years for Orange City to receive Tower 61. The department has also formed another truck committee as it begins working toward the future replacement of a rural pumper.
A Resource Beyond Orange City
Although the City of Orange City funded Tower 61, Roghair says its capabilities will be available to surrounding departments when requested through mutual-aid agreements.
He says the truck is a significant investment supported by Orange City taxpayers, but it will serve as a shared emergency-response resource for other communities in the region.
See more pictures of the new truck here.
