Firefighter Jim Brereton of the CFB Shilo Fire and Emergency Services shows off the new Red 12 on Nov. 17, replacing the 20-year-old Red 5 rescue vehicle. (Photo: K-J Millar/Shilo Stag News)
K-J Millar
Shilo Stag Media
Red 12 is a brand-new, streamlined, boxy beauty that recently arrived at CFB Shilo Fire and Rescue Services with all the bells and whistles, except one – the siren.
The 2024 Ford 550 Rescue Truck was initiated two weeks ago into the vehicle inventory as a replacement for Red 5, which hung up her keys after nearly 20 years of service with the Shilo fire and rescue squad and will be sold through government surplus.
Red 12 arrived on Base a few months ago and has been patiently waiting to be put into action while her siren was obtained and installed by Base radio technicians.
Jim Brereton, a 23-year fire-fighting veteran of the emergency services, said the truck is Canadian-made, with the back half constructed by Tri-Star Industries in Nova Scotia.
“We had to wait a little bit for [the siren issue] to be ironed out,” he said. “All bases across the country are getting new Red 12s.”
He explained that, as Shilo Red 12 was the first fire-rescue vehicle off the assembly line, an oversight occurred, with no siren being outfitted on the vehicle before it arrived on Base.
While Shilo Fire and Emergency Services did not have to use the jaws of life to cut through the red tape, Red 12 has now been voiced with the proper equipment and has even attended a few low-key emergencies.
The vehicle comes comfortably equipped with a four-person cab, including jump seats with self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). Red 12 is a smaller-sized rescue truck than the previous Red 5, which Brererton said was actually oversized for the Shilo environment and requirements. However, the modernized Red 12 carries everything the emergency service personnel need, including rescue equipment, extraction devices, and medical supplies, which are easily accessed on user-friendly slide-out trays.
A proactive new feature is the on-board front and rear-facing camera system that records activity while the emergency lights are activated. The emergency illumination system is state-of-the-art, featuring two telescopic, rotating floodlights and four truck-mounted side floodlights.
Firefighter Jim Brereton of the CFB Shilo Fire and Emergency Services said on Nov. 17, the new Red 12 rescue vehicle has already been put to use and initiated into the emergency fleet. (Photo: K-J Millar/Shilo Stag News)
Firefighter Jim Brereton of the CFB Shilo Fire and Emergency Services said on Nov. 17, the new Red 12 replaces the aged and oversized Red 5 rescue vehicle. (Photo:K-J Millar/Shilo Stag News)
Firefighter Jim Brereton of the CFB Shilo Fire and Emergency Services sits in the cab of the new four-person cab of Red 12, equipped with self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). (Photo: K-J Millar/Shilo Stag News)
