Manufacturer's Corner: St. Louis Hits the Streets in New Smeal Apparatus

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St. Louis firefighters are enjoying the new innovations and technology with the new fire apparatus from Smeal that are now on the streets.

The department recently took delivery of three pumpers, three 75-foot aerial ladders, one 125-foot aerial ladder and a 100-foot rear-mount platform ladder, all built by Smeal, on Spartan cabs and chassis'. 

"We don't practice until we get it right here in the fire department, we practice so we never get it wrong," St. Louis Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson said. "These guys use these trucks on a daily basis and they want to make sure that everything they need this piece of equipment to do, it's ready to do."

"When we started building apparatus, we'd say we got to make it safer. We got to make it more efficient," said Jenkerson, a 40-year veteran of the department. "With Spartan and Smeal, they get it."

Capt. John Schneidewind works at Truck 27, which is one of the busiest companies in the urban fire department. 

"We want to be known as the best here, and having this apparatus here has helped up do that," Schneidewind. "I love everything that's been incorporated into it frm the computer system to the pumping system....to the navigation system. It's awesome."

"It's been a win-win for the St. Louis Fire Department," Deputy Chief Michael Arras said."