On a fittingly sizzling summer Wednesday in central Oklahoma, a retired fire truck rolled onto the Canadian Valley Technology Center campus. Not to answer a call, but to help teach the next generation of firefighters how to answer calls down the road.
The 1999 Sutphen Quint fire engine was donated to CV Tech by the El Reno City Council, which purchased it new 27 years ago.
El Reno Fire Chief Jason Duff said that although the truck has outlived its usefulness as an active emergency vehicle, it can provide several more years of service as a training apparatus for students in CV Tech’s Firefighter program.
The National Fire Protection Association recommends that fire apparatus be retired from frontline service after about a quarter-century, making the 27-year-old Quint a natural fit for its new role.
Now in its second full year, CV Tech’s Firefighter program is a one-year program that is designed for high school seniors and recent high school graduates, said instructor Grant Johnson.
And much like the students it will help train, the donated fire truck is built for versatility.
“Quint” is short for “quintuple,” referring to the truck’s five primary functions.
At its core, it is a fire engine equipped with a single-stage pump capable of delivering up to 1,500 gallons of water per minute from its 300-gallon onboard tank. It also carries 2,400 feet of fire hoses, including large-diameter supply hose used to bring water from hydrants and attack hose used to fight fires.
Its aerial device features a 75-foot ladder capable of rotating 360 degrees, providing firefighters with additional capabilities for elevated rescues. A fixed waterway on the ladder can deliver up to 1,000 gallons of water per minute while extended.
Duff said the Quint was particularly valuable to a smaller suburban department such as El Reno because it essentially combines the capabilities of a fire engine and ladder truck.
The enclosed cab can accommodate six firefighters, with seating designed to allow firefighters to wear their self-contained breathing tanks while remaining safely buckled while en route to an emergency.
Duff said the vehicle had been the department’s first truck out during commercial fire alarms.
The Sutphen Corporation has manufactured fire suppression equipment at its central Ohio facilities since 1890. Under the hood, the Quint is powered by a 400-horsepower Detroit Series 60 diesel engine and is paired with an Allison automatic transmission. Its original purchase price exceeded $500,000.
“This truck is a tremendous asset to our program,” Johnson said. “It gives our students the opportunity to train on real-world equipment and develop the hands-on experience they’ll need to have a successful start in the fire service.”
CV Tech’s Firefighter program combines classroom instruction with hands-on training in fire behavior and prevention, fire suppression techniques, rescue operations and the use of personal protective equipment.
The program is designed to prepare students for careers in the fire service, where firefighters earn a median annual salary of approximately $60,000, or nearly $29 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
