CAMDEN — When new firetrucks roll into town, they are not just immediately conscripted into service. Firefighters face a new set of controls, systems and updated technology to understand. They have to get behind the wheel, test the pumps, and practice, practice, practice. In the case of Camden's new Engine 4, which features several state of the art functions, firefighters spent this past weekend getting to know it, inside the station and then out on the street.

"It’s important to train methodically so everyone uses the systems in the same manner," said Camden Fire Chief Chris Farley. "When all the operators are familiar with the systems and operate them in the same manner, everyone follows the same routine. This helps to prolong the life expectancy and reduces overall maintenance costs."

On Jan. 26 and 27, John Foxx, a representative from Minute Fire and Rescue Apparatus, Inc., of Walpole, Mass., was in town to help train Camden firefighters on the new Dash-CF multi-purpose vehicle, built last autumn by Pierce Manufacturing in Wisconsin and delivered to Camden Jan. 7. Sixteen members of the volunteer fire department participated in the training.

"We scheduled the training on the weekend so the part-time employees of the fire department would have a better chance of being able to attend," Farley said. "For most of them, this was the first formal training they received from an apparatus manufacturer’s representative. They learned features about the operation of this truck that will apply to improved operations of the department’s other apparatus, as well."

On Sunday morning, with temperatures barely reaching 14 degrees, a crew drove Engine 4 to Linden Lane, in a subdivision populated by few homes. There, they unrolled hoses and tested the truck's water and foam systems. Engine 4 has two tanks, one that holds 40 gallons of foam, and the other 750-gallons of water.

Engine 4 is replacing, over the span of several years, Engines 1 and 6, a decision reached by a municipal committee in 2010. Camden has already divested Engine 1, which was sold last fall, subsequently opening a bay inside the fire station for the $542,000 Engine 4, a purchase approved by Camden voters in 2011.

The new engine is in some ways simpler to operate than the older vehicles, said Farley. It has, however, more computerized systems, which require monitoring.

"The computer systems require the operator to interact with the truck more," he said. "It also has systems which are new to us, such as the onboard generator, foam system, and light tower."

The truck's electrical system incorporates lighting from the deck, rear work lights, and scene lighting that includes four 900-watt flood lights that sit atop a six-foot tower. It has a shorter wheelbase and independent suspension designed to allow the truck to travel with a minimum of road shock over roads of varying conditions. The truck also has increased braking capacity, enabling it to come to a stop more quickly than older vehicles.

The 58,000-pound Dash CF represents design upgrades that Pierce characterizes as its "next generation of fire apparatus." Its six-cylinder, 450-horsepower Cummins-built engine is "green," according to Pierce, and after a major reconfiguration, it meets Environmental Protection Agency fuel economy guidelines. The truck carries a 65-gallon diesel fuel tank. The EPA standards added cost to the vehicle, but the engine and exhaust system meets 2010 emission levels, reducing nitrogen oxide emissions and diesel particles, according to Pierce.

On Sunday, under clear, cold conditions, Farley compared the visibility of exhaust from the ladder truck (detectable) to the exhaust of Engine 4 (undetectable).

Farley said Engine 4 will be in service after firefighters have supplemental training. 

"The operators will also have driver training, including taking the truck on the department’s approved course — a driving route around town," he said.

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