St. Paul Fire Department purchases Minnesota’s first electric fire truck
A Rosenbauer firetruck is stored at the Wyoming Fire Department. (KSTP)
On Wednesday, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and Fire Chief Butch Inks announced the Saint Paul Fire Department’s purchase of Minnesota’s first fully electric fire truck.
“We’re excited to be the first in the state to invest in this state-of-the-art fire truck,” said Carter. “It brings us all the critical green energy benefits of an electric vehicle while meeting the high safety and efficiency standards we have for all our fire equipment.”
Members of the St. Paul Fire Department received demonstrations of the RTX truck from Austrian-based designer and manufacturer Rosenbauer earlier this year.
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Inks and other personnel praised the functionality, safety features, and quiet nature of the RTX truck compared to traditional vehicles.
“Communication on fire scenes is important and can be extremely difficult, especially when six or seven loud diesel engines are operating in high idle,” Inks said.
The investment in the RTX truck is in stride with the City of St. Paul Climate Action & Resilience Plan, which aims to lessen greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality in the city.
The build process for the truck has begun, with an expected completion date in 2025.