VIDEO: The City of Tampa unveiled eight new vehicles on Monday as part of a multi-million dollar investment in fire safety.
“We’ve been waiting for quite some time and it really is a milestone,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said.
The city showed off eight new additions to its fleet, including three new fire engines, three advanced life support ambulances and two new Ambu-buses that can be used for mass casualty events and evacuations. The new vehicles are part of a $127 million investment in new vehicles for Tampa Fire Rescue, but just getting the new vehicles has not been easy.
“Well, one of the biggest challenges is of course the manufacturers,” Tampa Fire Rescue Chief Barbara Tripp said. “Where it used to take eight to 12 months for new apparatus, not it’s taking us 24 to 36 months.”