World’s First Fully-Electric Fire Truck To Make Appearance In Rochester

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) -  The world’s first fully-electric fire truck will make an appearance in Rochester next month.

The City of Rochester and Rochester Fire Department have teamed up to host the world’s first fully-electric fire truck where the community can stop by and check out a brief program and an apparatus demonstration.

“The big red truck is an important piece of equipment that the Rochester Fire Department utilizes each and every day,” Rochester Fire Chief Eric Kerska said. “We are honored and excited to host this new apparatus, as it shows the advancement of technology and sustainability measures being focused on by the industry. We hope this visit provides our community members the ability to see the future of fire response.”

The apparatus is a product of Rosenbauer, a Minnesota company based in Wyoming, Minnesota. The truck provides zero/low emissions and reduced noise levels. The use of electric drives enables a completely new kind of vehicle architecture that is 100% tailored to these future response needs and sets new benchmarks in terms of functionality and ergonomics.

“Electric vehicle technology is a milestone in the history of all different forms of transportation. In 2011 Rosenbauer began the research and design phase to create this Concept Fire Truck (CFT),” Steve Harris with General Safety Fire Apparatus said. “The company’s investment has not ended with this highly successful concept vehicle instead, as the electric fire truck now enters full production mode, Rosenbauer continues to invest in updates to the drive train, user interface technology and other fire service innovations to lead us into the future fully mindful of sustainability, significantly reduced maintenance costs, and reduced emissions.”

The demonstration will take place on March 6th at the Minnesota National Guard Armory at Noon. It is free to the public everyone that is interested in checking out the electric fire truck. Directly following the brief program, there will be driving and operation demonstrations, which will conclude at approximately 3:00 p.m. Cookies and beverages will be provided by Rosenbauer.

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