Fighting fires and reducing greenhouse gasses has gotten a jolt this week, as the Calgary Fire Department introduced the city’s first electric fire engine.

Mayor Jyoti Gondek, alongside CFD Acting Fire Chief Pete Steenaerts debuted the Pierce Volterra fire engine on July 24, at the Calgary Fire Department Facilities.

The technologically advanced fire engine boasts quieter operations, and the ability to reduce emissions and minimize fuel consumption compared to a regular combustion powered fire truck.

The engine does however contain a backup diesel system to ensure continuous power for both pumping and driving systems.

“In addition to our adaptability to green technology as one of the major reasons that we were chosen to test this engine, [Pierce] Volterra is also here to test functionality and performance in our cold Canadian climate,” said Mayor Gondek 

“During the next five years our coldest days will contribute to the development of green technology, and its ability to withstand different environments.”

The platform has been tested and evaluated by Pierce Volterra in three United States cities, and was found to be an effective alternative to existing traditional internal combustion powered fire engines. Calgary will be the final location for a pilot by the firm in a North American city.

Christopher Sapienza, Regional Vice President for Pierce Volterra said the interest to bring a fourth electric fire truck to Calgary was due to partnering with a city that saw the mutually beneficial outcome from a pilot program.

The pilot will also allow the Calgary Fire Department to evaluate electric fire truck technology without making a long-term financial commitment.

“Not every fire department is in a position to be able to ask their crew to report on performance every day, but there’s certainly a demand in the fire department to provide that,” said Sapienza.

“This is about thoughtful integration of new tools that can help us to serve our community better. We will always choose the right tool for the job, whether that’s new electric engine or our traditional apparatus, having the ability to test this apparatus before making a long term commitment will ensure we are confident in how we move forward with this technology.”

Electric engine to provide equivalent operations to traditional fire engine

Acting Chief Steenaerts said that the super-majority of firefighting operations performed by the new engine would be done without the use of fossil fuels.

“We do believe that about 95 per cent of operations that this truck would do can be done from the battery life without having to rely on the diesel to switch over.”

The Mount Pleasant Fire Station, which will be the station the engine is deployed from for up to five years, also had a charger designed for the Pierce Volterra platform installed to support operations.

Mayor Gondek said the arrival of the truck in Calgary would provide momentum towards even more green initiatives.

“I very much value and appreciate the fact that The Calgary Fire Department is leading in this area.”

“Anytime we can come up with cleaner solutions that are going to result in better health outcomes, that is something they will pursue. So I very much value and appreciate the fact that we can come up with cleaner solutions that are going to rest in better health outcomes.”