Spartan Motors' Dedication To First Responder Safety Was On Display At The 40th Annual Michigan Firemen's Memorial Festival

News provided by

Oct 02, 2019, 13:25 ET

CHARLOTTE, Mich., Oct. 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Spartan Emergency Response ("Spartan" or "Spartan ER"), a business unit of Spartan Motors, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPAR), showcased a number of its safety-driven fire truck designs at the 40^th annual Michigan Firemen's Memorial Festival, held September 19-21 in Roscommon, Michigan. Spartan showcased several emergency response vehicles, including a Spartan Ladder Tower 75-foot Ladder, a Spartan Rear Mount Pumper, a Spartan Intelligent Pump Solution (IPS) apparatus, a Spartan Smeal Top Mount Pumper, two tankers, and two Spartan S-180 pumpers.

First place winner Garrett Connell. Left to right Matt Holzhei, Scott Patchin, Bill foster, Tim shaw, Garrett Connell, Mark Brown.

Spartan also featured its industry-leading Advanced Protection System® designed for the safety of firefighters, including; airbags, outboard sensors, advanced seat belts, 360 degree camera and its new clean cab Contaminant, Containment, and Management offering.

Thousands of fire chiefs, firefighters, and emergency medical service professionals gathered at The Festival in remembrance of valiant firefighters who perished in service. Fire departments from across the state showcased their fleets of Spartan fire trucks at the annual festival, including Milton Township, Blair Township, Swartz Creek, Berlin Township, and the Owosso Charter Township. Spartan had a total of eight apparatus on display.

"We strive to provide all of our fire department customers with the most advanced, innovative vehicle safety features in the industry," said Todd Fierro, President of Spartan Emergency Response. "The safety of those who serve and protect our communities is our top priority, and we are thankful to all who could join us at this year's festival."

The full list of Spartan Motors Emergency Response vehicles on display included:

Spartan Ladder Tower 75' Demo (Available for Immediate Delivery)
Spartan Rear Mount Pumper, Blair Township Fire Department
Spartan IPS Pumper, Milton Township Fire Department
Spartan UST Elliptical Tanker, Swartz Creek Fire Department
Kenworth Commercial Tanker Demo (Available for Immediate Delivery)
Spartan S-180 Pumper, Model 2108, Berlin Township Fire Department
Spartan S-180 Pumper, Model 2208, Demo (Available for Immediate Delivery)
Spartan Smeal Top Mount Pumper, Owosso Charter Township Fire Department

In addition to the fire trucks on display, Spartan sponsored a defensive-driving experience simulator designed to illustrate how to respond safely in traffic situations caused by improper yielding to emergency vehicles. This challenge prepares first responder drivers for potential emergency situations that may happen in route to, or from, a call. The driver in the simulator is exposed to various interactions, as each driver is given a defensive driving score. The simulator advances Spartan's mission to help ensure first responders are fully equipped to arrive and leave the scene safely.

The simulator competition winners include first place, Garrett Connell, from Lapeer City Fire and Rescue, Lapeer Michigan; second place, Jacob Holzhei, from Eaton Rapids Fire Department, Eaton Rapids, Michigan; and third place, Mitchell Hugaboom, from Kalkaska Fire Department, Kalkaska Michigan.

More information regarding Michigan Firemen's Memorial Festival can be found at www.firemensmemorial.com.

About Spartan Motors

Spartan Motors, Inc. is the North American leader in specialty vehicle manufacturing and assembly for the commercial and retail vehicle industries (including last-mile delivery, specialty service and vocation-specific upfit segments), as well as for the emergency response and recreational vehicle markets. The Company is organized into three core business segments: Spartan Fleet Vehicles and Services, Spartan Emergency Response and Spartan Specialty Vehicles. Today, its family of brands also include Spartan Authorized Parts, Spartan Factory Service Centers, Utilimaster, Royal Truck Body, Strobes-R-Us, Smeal, Ladder Tower and UST. Spartan Motors and its go-to-market brands are well known in their respective industries for quality, durability, aftermarket product support and first-to-market innovation. The Company employs approximately 2,500 associates, and operates facilities in Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Florida, Missouri, California, Arizona, Texas, Nebraska, South Dakota; Saltillo, Mexico; and Lima, Peru. Spartan reported sales of $816 million in 2018. Learn more about Spartan Motors at www.spartanmotors.com.