Trucks

Without trucks, a fire department is just a group of people with good intentions and training.  Saint Matthews Fire Department has two engines, two tankers, one pumper-tanker, and one ladder truck.

SMFD is also the headquarters for Calhoun County’s Search and Rescue units.  Rescue 1, which runs on wrecks in our coverage area and on mutual aid calls for large incidents, supplies firefighters with the Hurst Jaws of Life and assorted tools used for extrication, as well as ropes, harnesses and the equipment needed for technical low angle rope rescues.  Rescue 2 is a mobile cascade system and hazmat response apparatus.

The first out engine for SMFD is Engine 22.  (First out means it’s the first truck to respond to calls in our area.)  Engine 22 is a 2002 Pierce.  It carries 1000 gallons of water in the booster tank and has a 1250 gallon-per-minute pump.

Engine 23 is the latest acquisition, bought used from a fire department in Pennsylvania.  It’s actually a pumper-tanker, meaning it can be used to take part in a water shuttle, or work at a refilling point, or operate as an attack pumper at any fire SMFD responds to.  It carries 1800 gallons of water and a 1000 gallon-per-minute pump.

Engine 21 is a 1970 Mack CF-600.  Don’t think its age makes it less of a truck.  It’s capable of pumping up to 1800 gallons per minute, and has seven discharges to fight fire with.  It can even pull water into the pump through a front-mounted intake.  The only problem with 21 is that it has a 500 gallon booster tank and a 1250 gallon-per-month.  It will empty the tank in about 30 seconds, so it can’t be used as a first-out truck.

Ladder 2 is a Thiebault 85-foot ladder truck.  It came to SMFD from Fort Jackson through a truck loaning program administered through the South Carolina Forestry Commission.  Ladder 2 doesn’t make a lot of runs.  It only goes on big fires that need a serious drenching from above.  It can also be used in some technical rope rescue situations, as well.

Tanker 27 is a 1972 Ford C-600.  It began life as an engine, but when the need arose, the frame was shortened, a tank was bolted on, and a pump was put on to transfer water and to pump and run at woods and grass fires.  It’s the SMFD first out tanker.

Tanker 25 is the second out tanker.  It carries 1200 gallons of water.  It is also used by the water department from time to time.