Hagerstown Regional Airport (HGR) Fire Department (Station 35) announced it has acquired a 2004 Crimson Spartan Unit. This highly-specialized vehicle features a wide array of on-board rescue tools and equipment.
Known as “Unit 35”, this truck is expected to greatly enhance HGR’s ability to respond in a timely manner to on-airport fires and medical emergencies, aircraft incidents/accidents, airport area-motor vehicle accidents along with mass casualty events affecting the local community.
In the past, the fire station utilized a pull-behind box trailer to transport equipment and supplies to mass casualty incidents, which proved to be time-consuming and inefficient.
With the addition of this new fire truck, equipped with its advanced features, station 35 has made significant strides in improving its emergency response capabilities.
Neil Doran, Airport Director, said the new truck puts the airport fire service on new footing for emergency response.
“This modern vehicle not only streamlines our emergency response operations but also enables us to provide enhanced support to our community and neighboring counties during mass casualty events. In particular, with the Federal Aviation Administration’s Title 14 CFR Part 139 and National Aerospace Standard NAS 3306 standards governing the timed responses of emergency equipment to an aircraft emergency, the idea of backing up a pickup truck to a trailer to connect, haul away and be at that downed aircraft in 90 seconds just wasn’t realistic,” he said.
“Now, we can quickly deploy from the station and meet that response time along with our other Aircraft Rescue Firefighting apparatus with their extinguishing agents such as Foam and Purple K.”
Doran credited Chief Shirley for identifying the potential for these operational improvements that also proved to deliver significant cost-savings.
“These trucks very often cost in excess of $1 million to acquire, and here we have a meticulously maintained truck with only 12,000 miles on it fully equipped with otherwise, very expensive, like-new rescue tools,” said Doran.
The truck was sold to the airport by a volunteer fire department in rural Pennsylvania for $60,000, he said.
Among an on-board suite of equipment, the truck includes a telescoping light tower powered by a generator, providing essential lighting during nighttime operations. Additionally, six coffin compartments on top of the truck offer storage space for equipment and supplies, further enhancing the station’s readiness to handle various emergency scenarios. “With the addition of the new fire truck, we have grown by leaps and bounds in enhancing our capabilities and preparedness for emergency response,” said Danny Shirley, Airport Fire Chief. “This investment reflects our commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of our community.”
First established in 1996, the Hagerstown Regional Airport Fire Department is committed to serve the public and to protect life and property.
