MFRD Acquires Two New Pumper Engines

The Murfreesboro Fire Rescue Department has taken delivery of two brand new pumper engines and will add to its fleet of other apparatus soon.

“The pumpers are very much needed to keep protecting our citizens with good front-line equipment,” Interim Fire Chief Mark McCluskey said. “They have a lot of safety upgrades and requires less maintenance. These two engines will run several hundred medical and fire calls throughout the year and will be in service for 15 to 20 years.”

The new pumpers will replace Engine 7 at Station 7 on N. Thompson Lane and Engine 9 at Station 9 on Cason Lane, which are nearing their 15-year replacement life.

Due to supply chain and worker shortages, there is an 18 to 24-month turnaround for new fire apparatus. The city placed the order for MFRD’s new pumpers in December 2020. Expert fire truck manufacturer Sutphen custom-built the fire engines.

The engines cost $650,946 each, and approximately $500,000 to add equipment for both. The funding for one of the pumpers is from a state grant. The other funding is from the Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) budget.

“The mayor and city council have always been big supporters of the first responder program with both fire and police,” McCluskey said. ““They always supply us with the best equipment and latest technology which helps to make things operate better for the citizens of Murfreesboro.”

Key features of the Sutphen Monarch Cab:

• 980 Gallon Water Tank
• Waterous 2000 GPM Pump
• Low Hose bed
• Hose Reel
• Cummins X12 500 HP engine
• Allison Transmission
• Whelen Warning Light Package
• Over 161 cubic ft of compartment space
• Five riding positions
• EMS Cabinet

The new pumpers will go into service after installing the additional equipment.

The older Engines 7 and 9 will serve as standby engines if other apparatus is out of service for repair or other issues.