Whitecourt Aerial Tower One is finally here!

By Corrine Gadke

The Whitecourt Fire Department welcomed a unique asset to their department on September 10. It took eight years to acquire the much-needed Aerial Tower One Fire Truck.

Delivered from Appleton, Wisconsin to Whitecourt, the Aerial Tower 1 is a massive, multipurpose machine. Surpassing the other fire trucks by 10 feet, and weighing in at 8000 lbs, with a length of 43 feet, the six-man cab truck is now the largest fire truck in the Whitecourt department.

The versatility of the new fire truck is incredible, with the multifunctional mast that has a ladder reach of 100 feet high and 93 feet out.  The basket at the end of the mast is accessible from the ground at full retraction and has an impressive below-grade range of up to 20 degrees below ground level. “This is a game-changer for us,” stated Fire Chief Brian Wynn.

Doing a demonstration of the Aerial Tower One, Fire Chief Brian Wynn, Deputy Chief Wayne Andrusiak, and Deputy Chief Aaron Floyd showed how the integrated ground pads work and explained how the pads are permanently attached to the stabilizer footpads. This shortens setup time, promotes safety, and provides stability during aerial operation. This also allows the truck to operate on either an uphill or downhill slope.

After being safely belted onto the four-person platform basket, Fire Chief Brian Wynn demonstrated the aerial tower’s capabilities. While elevating higher, the Fire Chief explained that there is the conception that aerial towers are just for apartments or tall buildings. It is also used to footprint the building’s size, checking gas lines, and seeing the integrity of a roof. Fire Chief Brian Wynn also said, “In past emergencies, the fire department had to put firefighters on neighbouring buildings to assess a fire. Now, with Aerial Tower One, time is saved, and we are not risking the fire fighter’s safety.” Also, adding “another reason we need an aerial is for the log decks at the mill, before we could not reach them.”  Proudly, the Fire Chief said, “For all the industrial sites around us, with this aerial, it’s a game changer!”

 “The Aerial Tower 1 has the biggest pump not only in Whitecourt but in the county as well, if you need big water, this is the truck to go!” Wynn said of the aerial being serviceable for any structure.

The Aerial Tower 1 Truck has many other features, such as onboard breathing tanks connected in the bucket platform, 2000 gallon a min flow capacity to town hook up, camera mounts, 360-degree mast turning capability, foam system, and compressed foam systems.

The Whitecourt Fire Department is training the firefighters over the next month on the Aerial Tower 1.  On Thursday, September 17, they were training a portion of the staff across from the Fire Hall on 52 Ave.

Fire Chief Brian Wynn ended his demonstration about the Aerial Tower 1 and said, “For fire fighter’s safety, this is paramount for my team!”