Local News

Fire Engine Arrives

New vehicle was ordered in 2021

ELKINS -- The latest addition to the Elkins Fire Department has been unveiled -- a brand new fire engine that was ordered almost three years ago.

The custom Sutphen, which was built from the ground up in Columbus, Ohio, is the first new firefighting apparatus the EFD has received since a rescue truck was added to its fleet in 2017. 

"We appointed a truck committee and signed the contract for the engine in June of 2021," EFD Fire Chief Steve Himes told The Inter-Mountain. "By the time it got into the system it was August or September of that year.

"We had a basic drawing of the engine and had an idea of what we wanted. We then went to the plant in Ohio and sat down with a build engineer, where we went through a sheet with around 400 items. We went through every single item and made sure it was how we wanted."

Himes said the new engine will replace a 33-year-old pumper that the manufacturer could no longer guarantee parts for. 

"It will be our front-line pumper for responding to structure fires, auto accidents and things of that nature," Himes said. "Some of the volunteers bought some new equipment for it, but a lot of the equipment in it was just moved over from the old one. We did buy a few new things to put on it that the older truck didn't have, though."

Some of the new features include a 1,500 gallon pump, the ability to hold 1,000 gallons of water and 20 gallons of foam, 260 cubic feet of compartment space, seating for seven, and a 360-degree camera system. 

"Our guys in the department take a lot of pride in this new truck," Himes said. "To the untrained eye it looks pretty and shiny with all the lights. But there's absolutely nothing on this particular piece of equipment that doesn't have a function or serve a purpose. There's functionality, there's capability, and safety features that allow our guys to work safely."

Himes said the new engine was ordered because the department was trying to get a leg up on supply chain issues during COVID.

"In 2021, manufacturers of trucks were having a hard time getting materials to build them, and we knew the market was going to take a drastic increase," Himes said. "When you sign a contract for a fire engine that is custom-built to your specifications, it used to take a year or so to get.

"We knew it was going to take a minimum of 24 months, and the day we signed a contract was the day we locked in that price. So, after meeting with the Elkins City Council and getting their approval, we signed the contract."

The price for the new engine came in at $615,000. Himes said the price would be much higher if the truck was ordered today.

"Because of the supply chain issues, there were several delays with getting the new engine," Himes said. "It took us right at two years and 10 months from the signing of the contract to delivery, but we ducked several price increases. If you sign a contract on that exact same piece of equipment today, it would be $1 million."

Himes said the fleet at the Elkins Fire Department must constantly evolve, and that the new engine will be around for quite some time.

"Three to four years before this one is paid for, we are going to have to be looking at what is next," he said. "This new engine was bought to serve the community for 20-plus years. It's a tool and when we designed it, we focused on capability functions and safety."

Sutphen, a family owned and operated business, has been making fire engines since 1890.

"We have dealt with them before and they have built all three of the ladder trucks that we have had," Himes said.