Frontline Upgrade: Fountain Inn Finalizes $885,000 Fire Engine Acquisition

The Fountain Inn Fire Department is preparing for a significant boost to its fleet as the city finalizes the purchase of a new, state-of-the-art fire engine. The 885,750 dollar investment, which received final approval from the City Council in January, marks a major step in the city’s vision to keep pace with rapid residential growth.

A New Frontline Defender The 2025 side-mount pumper is slated to become the new primary response vehicle at the Fire Department headquarters on North Main Street. By choosing a side-mount configuration, department leadership opted for a design that offers a lower center of gravity and increased compartment space for vital rescue tools—features that are critical for navigating the evolving landscape of the Upstate.

Once the new engine is delivered and placed into service, the department’s current 2012 frontline engine will be moved to Station 2. This shift ensures that both of the city’s primary stations are equipped with reliable, modern apparatus to reduce response times and improve overall community safety.

The city anticipated closing on the lease-purchase financing for the vehicle in late January. While global supply chain issues have delayed fire truck deliveries across the country over the last two years, the department is working closely with manufacturers to get the new unit on the streets as quickly as possible.

The engine purchase is just one piece of a larger puzzle for the Fountain Inn Fire Department. With the city now growing by an estimated 1,000 residents per year, plans are also in the works for a third fire station and a new training facility. The addition of a new fire station in one of the fastest-growing areas will help service that area without the need to traverse narrow two-lane roads. For now the new side-mount engine serves as an 885,000 dollar promise to residents that as the city gets bigger, its commitment to protecting them remains just as strong.