Pierce recieves order for 104 Custom Fire Trucks.

[Portsmouth OH Fire Buff 8]

Jan. 14, 2011 – APPLETON, Wis. – Pierce Manufacturing, an Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK) company, today announced that it has received an order for 104 custom fire trucks from U.S. exporter Project Development International (PDI) through Ghana’s Ministry of Interior Service and the Ghana National Fire Service. The order includes a combination of 90 pumper tanker units, 10 water tender vehicles and four aerial ladder vehicles. Shipment of the vehicles will begin in February 2011 and will be completed over the following 12 months. This is the largest single purchase of Pierce custom fire apparatus in 18 years, and it is valued at more than $31 million.

Pierce Mfg News Release

[x635 4,066]

That's awesome news for Ghana! It's a national fire brigade, going from 136 stations to 202 stations.

I know they've had their difficulties the past few years with the country growing and their fire apparatus fleet not being able to keep up with demaand.

http://news.myjoyonline.com/news/200906/30837.asp

Here's their website:

http://www.ghanafireandrescue.org/

Hopefully, this will be a shot in the arm for the economy of Pierce/Oshkosh, it's employees, and the local economy. I wonder where these will all be built, in the Appleton, WI or FL plant? Pierce is even opening a dealer there. It's interesting they are going with American apparatus and not a more major international manfacturer.

Cool that they are buying Jerr-Dann wreckers and Oshkosh service vehicles as well for the new fleet.

[M' Ave 1,466]

Interesting story....only odd part is price. The website says 31 million for the whole order. That's really cheap!

[TheNewLadder32 49]

HI,I'd just like to know I read the news feed on the pierce website and it said they were gettin 125 foot rear mount aerials. I was just wondering pierce doesnt make 125' foot aerials so where will they be getting the ladders from ? Is the 125' foot ladder something new pierce is coming out with for 2011 ? Thanks for the time.

[helicopper 1,050]

A single FD for an entire COUNTRY. Amazing.

31 million does seem low but they're probably not a whole lot of bells and whistles and fluff on them. I think we've seen some local departments buying engines for about 400K and these average out to be just under 300K. Just basic, utilitarian apparatus for a developing nation and I'm sure they get a discount for buying so many.

[efdcapt115 1,511]

Found a recent article about the Ghana National Fire Service:

http://www.jhr.ca/blog/2010/09/where-theres-smoke/