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Local fire departments have commissioned newly acquired equipment to improve public safety in Osceola County.
At Station 63 on Cross Prairie Parkway, county firefighters and EMS officials put a new engine into service on Wednesday with a traditional “push back” ceremony.
This involves washing and then drying the new engine. Firefighters then pushed the new vehicle into the fire station, a practice that dates back to the 19th century, when horses could not properly enter the station with the wagon attached.
The engine, a new Sutphen Corporation Monarch, represents more than half a million dollars invested in public safety by the county. It will increase the reliability of the response, add functionality and reduce maintenance costs by replacing an older model in service since 2007 and 220,000 miles on its odometer.
“I would like to thank the Osceola County Council of Commissioners for their continued support of public safety,” said Osceola County Fire Chief Larry Collier. “By quickly replacing aging devices with the best possible equipment, our firefighters will be better equipped to protect residents and visitors to Osceola County.”
“It is an essential tool in protecting the lives and property of the residents of Osceola County and I am delighted that it is now in service to watch over our community for many years to come,” said County Commissioner for District 4, Cheryl Grieb, whose district includes Cross Prairie Station. “The County Commission has always viewed public safety as a top priority and the commissioning of a new engine is a very tangible symbol of that commitment and that we are giving first responders the necessary rescue tools for all situations. emergency situations they might encounter. face.”
Station 63 covers a central part of the county between St. Cloud and Kissimmee, an area that includes US Highway 192, Florida’s Turnpike, Osceola Heritage Park, NeoCity and the community of Remington. It is one of the busiest stations in Osceola County, registering 2,015 service calls so far in 2021, an increase of almost 17% from the same period last year.
This public safety investment launches fire department expansion. The county has approved construction of three new stations, including one on Boggy Creek Road near the Austin-Tindall sports complex, which is slated to open in December. Another will move a team currently working from a station in Poinciana divided with Polk County to the Osceola side of the community.
Earlier in September, the Kissimmee Fire Department launched the Tower 11, a ladder truck with a ladder extending up to 100 feet and added to the fleet at Station 11 near downtown Kissimmee on Clyde Street.
Built explicitly for KFD, it can elevate streams, reach horizontally into buildings where road access and terrain create problems, and provide roof access when standard ladders do not reach. A platform with nearly 20 square feet of workspace sits at the top, often eliminating the need for firefighters to have to climb on a roof, and is accessible from the ground without stepping up a ladder .
Deputy Chief Joseph Leone calls Tower 11 “the safest and most modern vehicle on the market”.
Tower 11 can carry four firefighters at a time and is also armed with a water pump capable of delivering over 1,500 gallons per minute on a fire.
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