Green Firetruck Rolls Into Hermosa

As one of the Hermosa Beach Fire Department’s traditional red-and-white firetrucks slowly rolled out of its Pier Avenue station Monday, a bright green truck rolled in to take its place.

Several firefighters climbed in, curiously inspecting the truck’s gadgets. Fire Capt. Michael Garofano stood by, looking with interest at the vehicle, which had a big tree frog painted on its back end.

As the firetruck's engine ran, Frank Landon took a deep breath.

“What do you smell,” he asked, before exclaiming, “Nothing! It’s clean air.”

Landon and his team members at HME Ahrens-Fox manufacturing company brought the energy-efficient firetruck to Hermosa Beach for display to city officials and firefighters.

The green machine is America's first natural gas-fueled firetruck, Landon said.

“It’s neat because it comes with 90 percent fewer emissions [than diesel-fueled trucks], 40 percent lower maintenance and operation costs,” said Ken Hartley, one of the local officials who attended the firetruck display. “I wanted the firefighters to see how it works.”

Hartley arranged the local showcase after seeing the truck exhibited at the annual Firehouse World Expo in San Diego last week. He was eager to show the truck to the city as a possible addition to the Fire Department.

“If it fits the needs of the Fire Department, saves our city money and is better for our environment, I feel it’s worthwhile to look at these options,” Hartley said.

Manufacturers claim that grants could cover 80 to 90 percent of the cost for an eco-friendly truck.

“The goal of our city is to be carbon-neutral, and this fits right in,” Mayor Peter Tucker told Patch at the showcase. “Again, Hermosa could take the leadership.”

The city is still in the early stages of budgeting for the next fiscal year, and thus hasn't yet tackled whether and how fire equipment will be included in that budget, according to city officials.

Firetrucks are not purchased often as the city maintains them for about 22 years, City Manager Steve Burrell told Patch. Hermosa Beach's last truck purchase was in 2000, he said.

If the city were to consider buying a new energy-efficient truck, fire officials first would have to confirm that the decision would be an appropriate fit with the department.

“We’d have two to three weeks to evaluate, look at maneuverability, and reliability… and the refueling of it,” Tucker said.

For fuel, the department could use natural gas tanks in Redondo Beach, where the city already gets diesel for emergency vehicles and natural gas for its Sedans, Burrell said.

If the Fire Department decides it wants the truck, a proposal would then be submitted to the City Council to consider, and the biggest question would come into play: How much would a new eco-friendly truck cost?

“I don’t think we’re in the market right now,” Burrell said. “If it’s $50,000 we’d consider it, but if it’s $400,000… I don’t know.”

The natural gas-powered truck that turned the heads of passersby Monday has a price tag of $330,000, Landon said.