Firefighters in Cary, North Carolina, just rolled out a first-of-its-kind fire truck that could bring emergency response departments a more sustainable edge.
The Cary Fire Department recently announced putting a Pierce Volterra electric pumper into service, the first one on the East Coast, after successful testing with crews. The new truck promises all the reliability firefighters need to protect the community while also cutting down on air pollution and saving on fuel.
Equipped with a 500-gallon water tank, 155-kilowatt-hour battery pack, and a backup diesel engine, the Volterra gives firefighters the opportunity to cover most daily responses entirely on electric power — and there’s the backup option available to ensure they can handle high-intensity calls with no interruptions should there be any issues with the battery. That means fewer tailpipe pollution in neighborhoods and far lower fuel costs for the department…