Reaffirming his strong commitment to public safety, Mayor Brian Arrigo joined leaders of the Revere Fire Department in unveiling two brand new state-of-the-art fire trucks and a high-water rescue vehicle Tuesday.
Fire Chief Christopher Bright, Assistant Chief James Cullen, and Deputy Chief Sean Mannion joined Arrigo at the Engine 1, Ladder fire station located at 360 Revere Beach for the ceremony.
There was excitement in the air as the department welcomed the gleaming, new 43,500-pound trucks. Revere firefighters responded to close to 12,000 calls in the city in 2022. The number of calls represents another annual increase for the RFD who faced a particular busy year that included battling some major, multiple-alarm blazes.
The two new trucks, Engine 3 and Engine 5, which were purchased by the city for a price of $1.5 million, will be out in service later this week, said Chief Bright.
The high-water rescue vehicle, which has the rather amazing capability of motoring through water depths as high as four feet, is also ready for service. Wolfgang said a new flood-rescue trailer will be able to house four, flood-rescue boats. The vehicle will eventually be situated at the Point of Pines fire station. A grant from the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) was used in the purchase of the high-water rescue vehicle and the flood-rescue trailer.
Bright said a fire apparatus committee consisting of Deputy Chief Mannion, Assistant Chief Cullen, Capt. Wolfgang, Capt. Steven Ferrante, Lt. Mike Forte, and Firefighter Michael Ferragamo led the process of acquiring the new fire trucks which are smaller in size than the current fire trucks.
“What our experience in an urban environment has been, we wanted to decrease the size a little bit to allow us better access on tight spots, so the trucks are a little bit leaner and meaner than the apparatus we’ve been accustomed to,†said Bright, adding that the department was “very excited†to have the new apparatus.
Arrigo said investing in equipment for the Revere Fire Department is “so important†for the city.
“The new equipment is part of our continuing commitment to make sure that the men and women who work for the city have all the resources and equipment they need to do their job really well,†said Arrigo. “We’re proud of the high level of service that we provide to our residents and the people who come here during the summer for events such as the Sandcastle Festival, or for a day at the beach, or to enjoy a dinner at one of our restaurants.â€
The Fire Department thanked Arrigo for his leadership and collaboration with the RFD in maintaining the highest standards in public safety efforts across the city.
“We thank the mayor for his hard work on this project and his commitment to public safety,†said Cullen.
