New firetruck does quintuple duty

CORONADO — Fourteen months after being ordered from a South Dakota firm, a shimmering red-and-silver “Quint” firetruck has been delivered, tested and finally put into service in Coronado. “For the challenges that we have on Coronado, as far as tight spaces and maneuverability, we ordered the right truck,” said engineer Brian Wright, a 22-year veteran of the Coronado Fire Department. “It rides nice for a big, long, heavy truck. It’s very smooth.” Fire Chief John Traylor said the Quint’s key value is that for the first time since 1989, Coronado now has its own ladder truck that can reach to the roof of more than 95 percent of hundreds of its tallest buildings. The city formerly had a ladder truck built in 1970 that was retired in 1989, Wright said. The vehicle’s name, “Quint,” refers to its five main capabilities. It is also called a quintuple combination pumper. The five functions it provides are: pump, water tank, fire hose, aerial device and ground ladders. Those functions allow it to serve in place of two vehicles: an engine and a ladder truck. Its cost, including equipment and taxes, was $1.1 million. Read the entire article here.