Pikeville Volunteer Fire Department (PVFD) recently made history once again by adding an aerial truck to its fleet. The aerial will be the first to be placed into service in Bledsoe County history. In addition to this, the aerial is believed to be the tallest in all adjoining counties, and possibly East Tennessee. Joining the aerial purchase was a special operations unit that will be used to supplement the tower during operations and several other special operations.

Missouri Fire Apparatus in Grovespring, Missouri was awarded the bid on the two apparatuses. The 114’ tower is a 2012 E-One Bronto which was previously in service in Oklahoma. To reduce the potential burden on the taxpayers, fire officials sought a lightly used apparatus rather than opt for a new one at an estimated cost of 1.7 million dollars. The tower acquisition has long been suggested by Insurance Services Office (ISO) reports and was part of a commitment made to Aviagen during their recruitment. ISO requires a ladder/tower/aerial once a response area has 5 buildings that are more than 3 stories or 35 feet in height, or 5 buildings with a needed fire flow greater than 3,500 gallons per minute, or any combination of these criteria. The tower will serve in many unique missions including below-grade rescue, limited lifting, multiple-story patient rescue, and most importantly fire suppression.

Additionally, the addition of the aerial will work to improve the department’s ISO rating. PVFD is currently rated as a Class 5/5X in our service area providing an approximate 37% savings to area businesses and homeowners. With the aerial and Special Operations Unit, PVFD hopes to attain a Class 4 rating, saving an additional four percent for area businesses and homeowners. While a four percent savings may seem small based on one homeowner’s premium, in a much larger picture, several hundred homes and businesses’ premium savings can be very substantial, easily compensating for the aerial’s initial cost. The truck will be known as Tower I.

The second apparatus will help expand our services and provide better storage capabilities for specialized tools and equipment that are not able to fit on existing apparatuses. Future new services such as rope rescue, grain bin rescue, confined space rescue, swift water rescue, SCBA bottle refill, and firefighter rehab will be augmented with the addition. The special operations unit will respond to most structure fires to support the department’s mission while on the fire scene. The special operations unit will join the department’s special operations fleet including a UTV for wildland fires.

Chief Paul Swafford greatly welcomed the arrival of the aerial, stating “Our department has long needed an aerial apparatus after many close calls, often relying on other adjoining county and city agencies with aerial apparatuses to arrive to assist with the incident. In fact, our department was forced to use the assistance of a local utility provider’s bucket truck to help at one incident. We are excited with our new apparatuses and look forward to improving and expanding the services we can provide to our community.”

Funds used to purchase the aerial and special operations unit were graciously provided by Bledsoe County Commissioners, Mayor Gregg Ridley, the Bledsoe County Industrial Development Board, Mayor Philip Cagle, and the City of Pikeville.

Bledsoe County Mayor Gregg Ridley was excited to learn the apparatuses were recently delivered and would soon be placed into service. “Congratulations to the City of Pikeville. You have risen to the occasion to maximize your fire suppression equipment and training to better serve the residents, businesses and industries of the city and county. Bledsoe County Commissioners and I are proud of our partnership with Mayor Cagle, Chief Swafford, and the Pikeville Fire Fighters, for their achievements toward ensuring fire safety for our citizens” stated Mayor Ridley.

Plans are still underway to add a new annex facility behind the current station to house the two apparatuses, UTV, mobile SCBA fill the trailer, and fire safety house. The new facility will be necessary to house the department’s growing fleet and provide an additional bay for future growth potential.

Pikeville Volunteer Fire Department’s mission is to protect lives, property, and the environment while serving our community with courage, commitment, and compassion. Our vision is to be a progressive organization that leads the community in public safety – the service we provide will be of the highest quality afforded to the citizens of our communities. The department is staffed with 24 fire service personnel with varying backgrounds who selflessly serve the community. PVFD is proud of its Class 5 Insurance Services Office (ISO) designation. The department is always seeking new personnel to join. If you or someone you know has a desire to serve the community, please contact the fire department for more information about joining.