AFR Dedicates Three New Fire Engines with Traditional Push-in Ceremonies
On April 30, 2024 Albuquerque Fire Rescue placed three new engines into service with traditional push in ceremonies. The new trucks will be replacing aging apparatus at Engine 2, Engine 3 and Engine 7. The old engines, which are 12 years old, will remain in service as part of the reserve fleet.
All of these engine companies each respond to approximately 2,600 to 3,500 calls for service and drive about 20,000 miles every year. That equates to 30,000-40,000 calls responded to and over 100,000 miles that each engine being replaced have accrued in the 12 years at their dedicated stations. New fire engines will help to improve in-service time and reduce operational costs for front line apparatus.
“This is a well-deserved upgrade for one of America’s finest and most active fire departments, and a prudent investment in the safety of Albuquerque’s families,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “AFR continues to demonstrate excellence in their service to our community, and these new apparatus will help them continue carrying out that commitment.”
“AFR is the largest fire department in the state and one of busiest in the country. To meet these demands for service, you have to have solid support from the Fire Chief on down,” said Randy Bloomer, AFR’s Fleet Services Manager. “AFR is committed to this service delivery by purchasing the best fire apparatus, maintaining the apparatus with a state-of-the-art, in-house Fleet Maintenance Facility utilizing Certified ASE/EVT Technicians, and replacing aging apparatus according to AFR’s replacement plan. All three working together allows AFR to provide the best service possible to the residents of Albuquerque.”
Funding for the new fire engines came from 2021 General Obligation Bonds. Each new engine cost $636,182. With a robust maintenance program, the ability to handle many repairs in house at AFR’s Fleet Facility and crew’s dedication to taking care of the apparatus, AFR is seeing extended replacement intervals and in-service time than industry recommendations. These are important factors considering the ever-increasing cost and longer build times of new apparatus.
$1,892,546 worth of apparatus was pushed into Albuquerque Fire Stations on April 30, 2024. AFR is excited about this new equipment and will continue to prioritize being good stewards of taxpayer dollars and are thankful for the equipment provided by the community.
Albuquerque Fire Rescue continues to be one of the busiest and most active departments in the nation. Established in June of 1900, it now has 22 fire stations, 760 full-time firefighters and 39 civilian personnel. In addition to fire suppression, AFR provides emergency medical services, emergency dispatch services, fire prevention, arson investigation, special operations response, community paramedicine, and public education.