Welcome, Ladder One!

After two years of planning and construction, a very long trip from Hopkinton through Monday afternoon’s soaking rain brought Bedford’s new aerial ladder truck to the fire station.

Chief David Grunes proudly saluted the team of Bedford firefighters who worked on Ladder One’s design: Lt. Mike Bauman, FF. Brian Oates, FF. Joe Barrilla, and FF. Matt Busa. “This is their truck,” he said, “They’ve worked hard to make it great.”

Lt. Bauman brought experience from taking part in the design team for Bedford’s retiring ladder truck. He said, “The new truck provided the chance to tweak things we didn’t get quite right last time, and also incorporate new technology that’s come along.”

One of the most visible changes: An increase in the posted “stay back” distance from 300 feet to 500 feet behind the truck.

Ladder One is a large and powerful piece of fire apparatus. It is 40.5 feet long, and stands just over 11 feet tall. The aerial ladder extends to 109 feet, with a 750 pound “tip” capacity. Built on a 2014 KME “Severe Service” custom chassis, with a 500 horsepower Cummins Diesel engine, an automatic transmission with traction control, and anti-lock brakes. It boasts a full complement of LED lights.

Bryon E. Brooks, vice president of sales for KME’s local representative Bulldog Fire Apparatus, has compiled a training program for Bedford fire fighters that runs to more than 300 slides. “There are so many neat built-in features,” he noted, “that we want to be sure that all of the firefighters know what’s available, and how to use it.”

One important, and sentimental, feature of the new truck is the bell on its front bumper. This is its third installation on a Bedford aerial ladder truck.

Ladder One’s story in The Bedford Citizen:

• December, 2012: The first notice, a capital budget request;
• April, 2013: Funding is approved at Annual Town Meeting;
• August, 2013: Under construction;
• September 2014: Fitting out and final testing.