New apparatus orders « chicagoareafire.com

New apparatus orders

Urbana FD – Spartan 100′ mid-mount quint platform
Normal FD – 2 Spartan Star series pumpers
Waukegan FD – Seagrave marauder II pumper

drawing of new Seagrave Marauder II fire engine for Waukegan IL

Tags: new engine for Normal, new engine for Waukegan, new truck for Urbana, Normal Fire Department, Urbana Fire Department, Waukegan Fire Department

This entry was posted on September 9, 2018, 7:00 AM and is filed under Fire Department News, New Apparatus Order. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

10 Comments

#1 by CrabbyMilton on September 12, 2018 - 9:18 AM

I hope for PIERCE’s sake that they have corrected this issue.
Let that be a lesson where nobody would have thought that ALF would have ceased to exist because they had loyal customers at one time. They let their quality go down the toilet over the years and as of 2014, they no longer exist.
#2 by Localguy on September 12, 2018 - 8:34 AM

The rust issue and the way it was handled is a big part of it. Price is another. There are two depts in central IL that both purchased rescue pumpers. One was a pierce and one was a Spartan. The pierce was designed for the most part off the Spartan but cost $240,000 more. With less options. All the central IL depts listed use to be pierce depts. But after looking elsewhere, realized other manufactures make trucks as good or better then pierce and don’t get bent over when the bill comes. You get more truck for your buck going with someone other than pierce. Pierce has just been the normal for fds. That’s who we have always gone with.
#3 by CrabbyMilton on September 12, 2018 - 7:10 AM

That’s called competition. Milwaukee has been a solid PIERCE customer for many years and it appears that this will be longterm.
On the other hand, West Allis which had been a PIERCE customer for many years as well switched to SEAGRAVE in 2016 and has since taken delivery of 2 more SEAGRAVE rigs.
West Allis had become very disappointed with PIERCE due to rust problems and being stonewalled by them.
Brand loyalty is meaningless when you jerk customers around.
#4 by CrabbyMilton on September 12, 2018 - 7:02 AM

It has to do with competition. Plus the problems that PIERCE has or is having with rust and suspension issues does not help the cause.
Milwaukee has been a solid PIERCE customer for many years and will likely continue this.
West Allis was a solid PIERCE customer for quite some time but as of 2016, they are now a SEAGRAVE customer and likely will be after being very unhappy with PIERCE due to rust problems and being stonewalled about it.
Brand loyalty doesn’t mean much when you alienate your customers and there are several other builders out there to step in.
#5 by Gary on September 12, 2018 - 5:58 AM

What is the problem there seems to be with Pierce? Our area is doing just the opposite, getting rid of other manufacturers and Pierce is becoming a favorite.
#6 by Localguy on September 10, 2018 - 4:39 PM

Correct, Normal is no longer purchasing pierce. Nor is Bloomington, Champaign, Urbana, Danville, Peoria.
#7 by Localguy on September 10, 2018 - 4:36 PM

Urbana’s tower ladder is gonna be sweet. Possibly a medium grey ladder. A grey ladder with Urbana’s body color is going to be really nice. Painted rollup doors. It’s gonna have 241 feet of ground ladders. Nothing side stacked. Normal visiteded Urbana to see their two new Spartan engines. Then chose to go with Spartan.
#8 by Mike C on September 9, 2018 - 8:09 PM

I heard Waukegan may purchase an additional pumper on top of this new Seagrave.
#9 by Michael m on September 9, 2018 - 4:50 PM

I am guessing Normal decided to get rid of Pierce as well. I am guessing the two Normal engines will be going to Engine 10 and 17.
#10 by Evan Davis on September 9, 2018 - 2:19 PM

Interesting to see what the Urbana’s truck will look like when it’s finished!