MARICOPA, AZ—The Maricopa (AZ) Fire Department has added four new Ford Fusions to its apparatus fleet, replacing aging SUVs and trucks, to serve as emergency response vehicles for executive staff.
The Ford Fusions have been outfitted with department lettering, decals, and emergency response lights and sirens to ensure the safety of on-scene staff when responding to emergencies. The addition of the Ford Fusions is in keeping with the mission of the fleet, which is to provide the most efficient, effective, and safe vehicles for members of the department.
Almost doubling the fuel efficiency from the vehicles the department replaced, the cost savings has had a significant impact on the fleet’s fuel budget. The Fusion’s fuel economy is rated at 25 miles per gallon (mpg) city driving and 37 mpg on the highway. The vehicles they replaced had an average fuel economy of 14 mpg.
“When we began looking into purchasing new vehicles for our fleet, we included all the members of the Resource Management Division in the decision-making process and then underwent an extensive competitive search to find the best fit for our needs,” says Chief Brady Leffler. “The Ford Fusions are efficient, safe, and reliable, and we hope to demonstrate to other fire departments around the country that sedans like the Fusion are an ideal choice for executive staff to use as emergency-response vehicles.”
The department is currently in the process of adding a new Ford Explorer with the Interceptor package to the fleet along with a possible F-450 Fleet Support vehicle for the mechanics to use for in-field repairs. The department is also planning to add two 2015 Ford F-150s (with high-efficiency aluminum bodies) to be used for support vehicles for administrative work and to be wrapped in life-safety and fire-prevention signage.
The new Fords join in a long history of Maricopa (AZ) Fire Department Ford vehicles. When the department was established in 1976, the first vehicle it purchased was a Ford 1948 F-4 fire apparatus. The engine is still in the department and will soon be fully restored when funds become available for the project. Along with the original engine, the department has maintained an administrative fleet of front-line Ford vehicles, which, along with the new Fusions, includes two F-250 command trucks, one F-150 fire inspector truck, and a Ford Expedition for the volunteers and staff.
The Maricopa (AZ) Fire Department is located approximately 18 miles south of Phoenix, AZ, and covers the 45 square miles of the City of Maricopa. The department uses four fire stations and a staff of 63 to provide a full-time, paid, all-hazards and emergency medical service response and protection, As part of the Phoenix Regional Automatic Aid system, the department helps provide coverage to the Phoenix metropolitan area and the 27 cities and towns and 4.2 million residents it includes.
For more information, visit http://www.maricopa-az.gov.
