City dedicates five new ladder trucks for Fire Department

Mayor Martin J. Walsh and Boston Fire Commissioner Joseph E. Finn today unveiled the latest additions to the Boston Fire Department's (BFD) fleet at a dedication ceremony at the Engine 14 and Ladder 4 firehouse in Dudley Square, Roxbury. Five new Emergency One 100 Foot Rear Mount Metro Ladders were officially put into service at a ceremony that also included a blessing of the fleet by Assistant Chaplain Rev. Carl Thompson.

"These new ladders show the City of Boston's commitment not just to public safety, but to firefighters' profession," said Mayor Walsh. "Often residents don't think of firefighters until there's a tragedy -- but protecting our city is what first responders do every day. These new ladders will help ensure the security of our entire City, and represent a major investment in Boston's public safety capabilities."

These ladders join four previously delivered ladders, completing the delivery of nine new ladder trucks for the BFD. With nine out of 20 ladders replaced, almost 50 percent of Boston's ladder trucks have been replaced within one year.

The five new trucks will be assigned to: Ladder 4 to Roxbury, Ladder 17 to the South End, Ladder 18 to South Boston, Ladder 21 to East Boston and Ladder 29 to Mattapan.

The four earlier ladders were Ladder 7 to Dorchester, Ladder 11 to Brighton, Ladder 19 to South Boston and Ladder 25 to West Roxbury. The total capital cost of these nine ladders was a $6.9 million investment.

"My thanks to Mayor Walsh for his continued support of the Boston Fire Department," said Commissioner Finn. "These new ladders will allow our firefighters to respond safely and quickly to incidents. Great thought went into their design and maneuverability to meet the challenges of a city like Boston: these ladders have a smaller wheelbase to increase their turning capability; they have a shorter jacking system to decrease the time needed to raise the aerial ladder; and they are much lighter and have vastly improved vision systems to assist the driver."

In addition to these nine new ladder trucks, the Boston Fire Department will be ordering 23 new engines, and training 50 new recruits at the Boston Fire Academy, all of whom are veterans. Boston is continuing its investment in public safety through the construction of a new Engine 42 Fire Station in Egleston Square, one of two new firehouses built in Boston in the last 30 years.