(Watsonville firefighters wash the department’s new engine Friday that was entirely funded by Measure G. Photo by Tarmo Hannula/Pajaronian)
WATSONVILLE — A new custom-built engine arrived at Watsonville Fire Station 1 on Friday after a journey from the opposite end of the country.
The engine, manufactured by Pennsylvania-based Kovatch Mobile Equipment Corp., is one of two new engines to be added to the department’s fleet. The second engine is expected to arrive next week, according to Fire Chief Pablo Barreto, and will make their debut at the Spirit of Watsonville Fourth of July Parade.
A 2001 engine will be retired, and each of the city’s two fire stations will receive a new engine.
Barreto said the engines have a lifespan of 10-15 years, adding reliability to the fleet, as the older engines have been going out of service on a consistent basis.
“This will secure the city for the next 10 years,” he said. “It’s a pretty good investment for the city.”
According to Barreto, each engine cost about $530,000, all of which was paid for through Measure G, the half-cent sales tax approved by voters in 2014 dedicated to the fire and police departments.
“We are very thankful for the support of Measure G,” Barreto said. “Today, the Watsonville Fire Department has the newest, safest equipment to serve the community.”
Over the past two years, the fire department has spent nearly $3 million of Measure G funds on equipment and personnel, according to Barreto.
“We look forward to the continued support from our community and business leaders,” he said.
Built from the ground up over a period of 16 months, the engine was designed and planned by a committee of three Watsonville firefighters. It is capable of pumping 1,500 gallons per minute and is equipped with “the best technology out there,” Barreto said, such as a camera in the cab that shows the driver a 360-degree view around the vehicle.
A large bell rides on the front bumper of the new engine to carry on an early day tradition. Photo by Tarmo Hannula/Pajaronian
It also features a bell on the front bumper, a throwback to early-day fire engines.
The engine will be staffed by three to four people.
The two engines are not the only new vehicles headed to the fire department. In February, the Watsonville City Council gave the department the go-ahead to purchase a $1.5 million tiller ladder truck, funded through Measure G.
