The Milwaukee, Wis., Fire Department has taken delivery on a matching pair of custom Pierce Arrow XT pumpers. This makes the Milwaukee fire fleet the Cheese State’s largest fire department that is all-Pierce. The city of Madison Fire Department (second largest in the state) has been a 100 percent Pierce fleet for several years. The Madison fleet’s most recent delivery was a Pierce Quantum aerial platform in December 2014.

The Milwaukee Fire Department’s apparatus fleet includes a total of 45 pumpers, 21 aerial ladders, two aerial platforms, and four Heavy-Duty Rescues (including one to be delivered in Summer 2015). The units are all from Pierce. Operating 36 fire stations, the Milwaukee Fire Department provides fire protection, advanced life support, fire prevention and community outreach services to Milwaukee and the village of West Milwaukee. Its protection responsibility includes 96.5 square miles and a population of over 560,000, with a large lakefront area, high-rise downtown structures, suburban regions, and light and heavy industrial areas.

“We have been able to make the changes to update our apparatus with new technologies like TAK-4 suspension for a smoother ride, enhanced braking ability and sharper cornering,” says Battalion Chief Dale Schwark of the Milwaukee department’s Division of Construction and Maintenance.

The Madison Fire Department began purchasing Pierce apparatus in 1997. It operates 13 fire stations and features a fleet of 14 pumpers, seven aerial ladders, and two rescue vehicles. All are built on the Pierce Quantum chassis (with the exception of one rescue built on a Pierce Saber chassis).

“Our firefighters really like the overall design and built-in safety features that, for example, allow them to easily exit and enter the cab away from traffic on busy highways,” says Madison’s Fire Chief Steven Davis.

In the video, Scott Krueger from Reliant Fire Apparatus discusses the attributes of a Pierce ladder truck.

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