Around Town

ACFD debuts new engine with retro logo, modern features

By Melanie Pincus
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The Arlington County Fire Department is reviving a door logo last seen on county vehicles more than 50 years ago.

At the same time, the department is gradually upgrading its vehicles with new features, including a better ride quality on its engines. That’s according to Arlington fire department spokesman Capt. Nate Hiner, who told ARLnow that the department’s apparatus committee opted for a 1968-70 throwback design over the existing “old English style door logo.”

Beyond the visual changes, department members will have more space thanks to new cabs and chassis (the part of the vehicle including the frame, engine, transmission and other important pieces) from fire apparatus maker Pierce Manufacturing.

On top of that, air-ride suspensions in the rear of units will replace spring suspensions and provide “better ride quality on our urban streets,” Hiner wrote in an email.

Not only will air-ride suspension enable better rides, but it will also help the department streamline suspension-related repairs. The county will no longer have to send units to remote repair facilities for these fixes, which will reduce the time units are out of service, Hiner said.

So far, four units have received the new features.

“As we continue through our replacement cycle in future fiscal years this number will increase,” Hiner wrote.

Just one eagle-eyed tweeter called out new door graphics after ACFD asked users whether they could spot anything different about an engine pictured in a Sept. 14 tweet.