Dandridge Volunteer Fire Department Acquires New Ladder Firetruck

Staff Photo by Jeff Depew

The town of Dandridge recently invested in a monster of a ladder firetruck. The truck was purchased from the St. John Fire Protection District in South Carolina.

Manufactured by E-One, the 41-and-a-half-foot-long truck stands at 11 feet, 4 inches tall. Boasting a 515 horsepower Detroit engine, the ladder truck is quite the sight to see. Different from any of the other firetrucks in the area, it features a 114 foot articulating knuckle boom, much like what one would see on a bucket truck. Firefighters can use this to go either up or down, and up to 4 personnel can fit on to the platform. Alternately, a patient can lay, making evacuations much easier. The pump can push up to 2,000 gallons of water per minute, and the vehicle has many more features and functions that the Dandridge VFD will be able to utilize.

The truck is not yet in service, though. Since this vehicle has many functions not normally seen with others in the area, the Dandridge VFD will be doing extensive training in the coming months to best utilize all the features. They will be conducting driver training soon, so the community will be seeing more of the new purchase. They are also in the process of getting the funds approved to completely outfit the truck to fit the community’s needs. Once loaded, it will weigh about 81,500 pounds. Bids are also being taken to re-stripe the truck, making it something that the whole Town of Dandridge can be proud of.

Dandridge VFD Fire Chief Andy Riley encourages the community to stop and check out the truck, if they see it out and about during these training exercises, or if they see it parked somewhere, since it belongs to the town.