On June 11, 2015, members of the Dumfries-Triangle Volunteer Fire Department traveled to Ocala, Florida to conduct a pre-final inspection of a new custom apparatus being built by E-One.

Upon their arrival to E-One, the members were met by Larry Daniels, the Director of E-One’s Southeast Region. Mr. Daniels began his employment with E-One in the early 90’s on the assembly lines where he eventually worked his way up to the corporate headquarters.

After introductions and a quick lunch, an hour long tour of the facilities began. Daniels explained how E-ONE is a worldwide designer, manufacturer and marketer of fire and rescue vehicles with more than 28,000 vehicles in operation around the globe. His company which was established in 1974, pioneered the use of extruded aluminum in first response vehicles. New innovations have been the company's driving force behind its pursuit of new technologies. Something that rested well with the firefighters in attendance.

In 2014, the need of a heavy rescue on the southeast end of the county was reestablished. This meant the assumption of services formerly provided by the Dumfries-Triangle Rescue Squad. A service which has transitioned between the two agencies over the past 50 years or so. However over the past 5-10 years, only limited rescue and extrication services were able to be performed by DTVFD’s Truck Company. Thus, the need for a modern specialized heavy rescue apparatus was identified.

In doing so, DTVFD brought many unique requirements to the table due to recent standardization of many fire apparatus in Prince William County, by the Fire and Rescue Association. E-One, as it has for many years, accepted the challenge and was hired to design and build their new rescue vehicle to comply with the FRA policies. E-ONE was able to provide an in-house body design and fabrication processes, customized to DTVFD’s specific needs, with one of the industry’s most durable frames.

The new rescue’s safety has been increased with anti-roll systems and will include unique, all-aluminum, high-strength extrusions to minimize the amount of damage an accident may cause to the cab. Because of the modular design, repairs to the vehicle can also be made in sections, thus saving time and money. According to Daniels, the all-aluminum, extruded body is lightweight, corrosion- resistant, and has demonstrated years of trouble-free service. He also pointed out that the all-welded tongue and groove design is superior to a bolted design, and every E-ONE body is backed by a 10-year structural warranty.

The result is DTVFD’s new state-of-the-art rescue vehicle which will provide Dumfries and the surrounding communities with superior firefighting and rescue capabilities to save life and property well into the future.