Hanford Site fire department recently debuted a new ladder truck that will play a crucial role in emergency responses.
Office of Environmental Management
January 28, 2020
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RICHLAND, Wash. – As the Hanford Site transitions to 24/7 operations, its fire department recently debuted a new ladder truck that will play a crucial role in emergency responses.
The truck was put into service with a traditional “Push-In” ceremony, which pays homage to firefighters in the 1800s who used horse-drawn equipment and would have to literally push the fire engines into the garage after returning from a fire. The event has since become a widely practiced tradition for new fire department vehicles.
Leadership from EM and Hanford contractors Mission Support Alliance (MSA), Bechtel National, Inc., CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company, and Washington River Protection Solutions were in attendance as the truck was backed into the garage and officially put into service. The Hanford Fire Department is managed by MSA on behalf of EM.
“We are preparing all of our infrastructure and utility services to support Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste operations and to respond quickly to any contingency,” EM Office of River Protection and Richland Operations Office Manager Brian Vance said during the event. “While we have had that capability in our fire department, this equipment improves the reliability of this service on the site. This new truck is just one more example of Hanford taking steps to becoming an operating facility for the first time in more than 30 years.”
Hanford Site Fire Chief Norb Kuhman added, “Protecting workers and the environment are top priorities at Hanford. This new truck, which was designed and built with input from Hanford Fire Department leadership and our firefighters, provides the tools and resources first responders need to protect workers and the site.”