ATHENS, Ga. — The Athens-Clarke County Fire Department announced its newest fleet addition is not just large, it’s dino-normous.
On March 18, ACCFD said it had brought on Ladder 1, a Rosenbauer T-Rex articulating aerial platform.
It’s 115 feet of movable emergency response, according to the county.
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Fire crews trained on the new equipment for three weeks to make sure they could use the T-Rex safely and successfully in a variety of emergency situations.
“This is a major step forward for fire protection in Athens-Clarke County,” Fire Chief Nate Moss said in a statement. “The T-Rex gives our personnel safer, quicker access to the most difficult locations while increasing our firefighting capability at the same time. It represents our continued commitment to firefighter safety and community protection.”
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Officials said the T-Rex was added to the fleet on Feb. 20, including the department’s traditional push-in ceremony.
According to the fire department, the Rosenbauer T-Rex is designed to work where conventional ladder trucks can’t, using a combination of telescoping and articulating ladder to let firefighters move up and over obstacles, like parapets, roofs and other building setbacks.
“This will be especially vital in hard-to-reach areas of downtown Athens,” the department said. “The apparatus features 115 feet of vertical reach and as much as 93 feet of horizontal side reach at full capacity, enabling access to high-rise buildings, complex rooflines and confined access points.”
The T-Rex can support up to 1,400 pounds and can carry multiple firefighters and rescue equipment at a time. It’s also capable of pumping up to 2,000 gallons of water per minute, has a 300-gallon water tank and can deliver up to 1,500 gallons per minute through its elevated waterway, so firefighters can apply water directly at points of impact from above.
The platform also includes a rescue basket for crews to have increased flexibility during rescues and firefighting operations, as well as integrated systems to monitor load, wind conditions and stability so fire crews can work with confidence even during challenging situations.
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