Puget Sound Fire dedicated a new $1.5 million ladder truck that will be based at Station 74, the agency’s headquarters at 24611 116th Ave. SE on Kent’s East Hill.

“The new truck is designed with enhanced safety features that not only make it a very maneuverable and stable platform to work from but also incredibly safe for the firefighters working off of it,” said Puget Sound Fire Capt. Joe Root in an email.

Kent Mayor Dana Ralph joined firefighters on Aug. 9 to dedicate the new truck. It replaces a ladder truck that went into service in 2007 and is just shy of 95,000 miles. Both trucks were built by Wisconsin-based Pierce Manufacturing.

“The older truck will be moved to reserve status and will be used as a back up when either of the other ladder trucks are out of service for any issues such as scheduled inspections, maintenance or repairs,” Root said.

In general, apparatus in the fleet typically spend half of their service life as a front line response rig and then spend the second half as a reserve or back up.

“There are several variables such as replacement schedule, wear/tear, etc. but in general 10 years as front line and 10 years as reserve,” Root said. “Ladder trucks typically spend 15 years front line and five years reserve so the planned replacement is on schedule.”

Puget Sound Fire has an apparatus replacement fund in the capital budget that allows for the planned replacement of rigs. The agency is funded through property taxes and a fire benefit fee based on the cost of potential service to a home or business.

The agency bought two new aid cars in 2020 at a cost of $284,000 each that serve the downtown area out of Station 71. In 2019, Puget Sound Fire added two new engines, one in Kent and one in SeaTac. Each engine cost about $618,000 and replaced engines that were 18 years old.

Puget Sound Fire’s new $1.5 million ladder truck. COURTESY PHOTO, Puget Sound Fire