The city’s new custom fire truck will give firefighters “another tool in the toolbox” to fight the increasing number of wildfires in the area each year, according to Deputy Fire Chief Dexter Hupe.
WILD 1 was built for rough terrains in remote locations and is the only specialized fire apparatus in the fleet. Hupe said that Kenora Fire and Emergency Services began the process of obtaining the truck in 2023, which was approved in 2024.
“This is a specialized unit that helps us get to those remote areas to keep those fires small, before they grow larger,” Hupe said.
With its delivery to Kenora Fire and Emergency Services earlier this month, crews spent May 12 learning about and training on the apparatus.
In order to use the apparatus year-round, it will also be used for decontamination.
“Ontario has a firefighter cancer prevention checklist, so one of those priorities we have is ensuring that we reduce contaminants on scene,” said Hupe.
“So, this truck has an on-board 400-gallon water tank with a fire pump on the back, so when our firefighters are on scene at a regular structure fire, they would come to the back of this truck and they’d be able to wash all the contaminants on-scene” he said.
WILD 1 was built on a Ford F-550 with a customized body by Acres Emergency Vehicles. Along with its 400-gallon tank, it has a 20-gallon foam system and a 310 gallon per minute fire pump, according to the fire department.
To navigate challenging terrains, it also has upgraded off-road suspension, wide-base tires, and a lift kit.
Since it was put in service last week, Hupe added that “we’ve been lucky enough with good weather that we haven’t had any grass fires.”