4:11 a.m. November 28, 2012
Gatlinburg Fire Department enhances its capabilities with Quint apparatus

GATLINBURG, TN -- The Gatlinburg Fire Department has taken delivery of a new state-of-the-art fire apparatus that immediately enhances the firefighting and rescue capabilities of the department and helps maintain the community's superior fire safety rating.

Gatlinburg shows off its new 2012 Viper Quint, a 78-foot multi-purpose fire truck

The new apparatus is a 2012 Viper Quint, a 78-foot multi-purpose truck constructed on a Spartan Chassis. It was manufactured in South Dakota by Rosenbauer, the largest manufacturer of fire apparatus in the United States.

Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller is quite proud of the new engine now residing at GFD headquarters station on East Parkway.

"Rosenbauer was very excited to place a new Quint in Gatlinburg, due to the 'face time' one of their vehicles will receive in a tourist town that sees more than 10 million visitors annually," said Miller. "Many of those visitors to Gatlinburg choose to stop by one of our three stations to take a tour of the facility and to see the vehicles and equipment."

What is a quint? It's a quintuple combination fire service apparatus that serves the dual purpose of an engine and a ladder truck. The name quint is derived from the Latin prefix quinque-, meaning five, and refers to the five functions that a quint provides: pump, water tank, fire hose, aerial device, and ground ladders.

Although a quint does require more staffing to carry out all its operations, the fact that it is a combination of ladder truck and engine allows the department to carry out operations more efficiently, allowing savings by utilizing a multifunctional approach.

A Quint fire apparatus prevents the department from duplicating fire engines and aerial devices in each response area, thus providing a significant savings to the tax payers over buying separate engines and aerial devices. The aerial portion (ladder) of the Quint allows for quick rescue from multi-story buildings and has a waterway for elevated fire suppression.

Gatlinburg has a Public Protection Classification from ISO (Insurance Services Office) of a Class 3 rating. The addition of the Quint further allows the City of Gatlinburg to provide the best quality fire protection and enables property owners and residents to receive better insurance rates.

The vehicle was purchased from Southern Emergency Products of Georgia.

Published November 28, 2012