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West Jordan inaugurates two new fire engines

Jul 06, 2021 04:02PM ● By Erin Dixon

Firefighters and city officials push the engine into the bay where it is now ready for service. (photo/Erin Dixon)

By Erin Dixon| [email protected]

West Jordan Fire welcomed two new fire trucks with pomp and circumstance. 

A bagpiper and flag ceremony welcomed the crowd. Firefighters hosed down a truck and city council, and firefighters physically pushed the truck into its new home.  

“This tradition dates back into the late 1800s,” West Jordan Fire Chief Derek Maxfield said.  “When fire companies got a new set of horses, they would wash down those horses and get them ready to go.”

Mayor Dirk Burton spoke in praise of the firefighters and the need for new trucks. 

“As great as these guys are, and they are fantastic,” he said. “They can’t do it right if they don’t have the right tools.”

Together, the two new trucks cost $700,000. Replacing fire vehicles is part of an anticipated rotation that happens for each vehicle every 10 years. The predecessors to these new trucks are now set aside in case of high need. 

“[They] exceed industry crash standards,” Maxfield said. “[They have a] 500-gallon water tank capacity, [and a] 1,500-gallon-per-minute pump. There’s a generator on the engine, and when it’s idling, the engine itself will shut off and the generator will kick on and run the tools we need and decrease emissions.”