PHOTOS: Ever have a hard time making a turn on a tight Wollaston street packed with parked cars? Try doing it in an almost 60-foot-long fire truck.
As Quincy’s development boom continues, the fire department is preparing to put into service a new, $1.45 million tiller truck to help firefighters take tight turns and get closer to ever-taller buildings. The truck, with two drivers, one in the front and one in the back, has two chassis and can pivot in the first third of the rig, like a tractor trailer, to make it more nimble.
“The primary reason for the truck is the city is getting built out, there’s more cars, more congestion, smaller streets,” said acting Fire Chief Joe Jackson. “This is like the Holy Grail of fire trucks. Chiefs across the state are jealous.”
The truck will be Ladder 2 in the Wollaston fire station on Beale Street. Having the tiller truck stationed in the middle of the city means it will see a lot of action, Jackson said.