A new ladder truck will soon join the Foley Fire & Rescue Department fleet as part of the city’s ongoing efforts to strengthen fire protection and emergency response capabilities.

Fire Chief Joey Darby told Foley City Council members that the truck, ordered in late 2023, is in the final stages of production at the Rosenbauer manufacturing facility in Minnesota and is expected to arrive in Foley this fall.

“Our ladder truck is in final production, so we’re excited about that,” Darby said. “We’re on track for hopefully a completion date at the end of October, which means that we’ll have to make a trip up to Minnesota, hopefully early November, and see that truck arrive.”

Darby said large emergency vehicles such as ladder trucks can take as long as three years to manufacture and prepare for service.

The new truck will feature a 78-foot aerial ladder along with a water tank, pump, full complement of fire hose and ground ladders. The equipment will allow the vehicle to operate as either a custom pumper or an aerial ladder truck.

The estimated final cost of the truck is $1.4 million.

City Council members recently approved $84,137.92 for equipment for the new vehicle. The city had previously ordered approximately $40,000 in hydraulic rescue tools. Darby said the combined cost of tools and equipment remains below the $150,000 budgeted for the purchases.

Once placed into service, the ladder truck will be assigned to Fire Station No. 3 and staffed at all times by a crew of four firefighters.

The new truck is one of several investments the city is making in Foley Fire Rescue facilities and equipment.

Plans are also moving forward for Fire Station No. 4 on East Fern Avenue. The station is currently in the design phase, with design work expected to be completed in March 2027.

Foley’s fiscal year 2027 budget, which took effect Oct. 1, also includes funding for renovations and improvements at Fire Station No. 1. The project will strengthen the building to better withstand high winds and storms, provide a new roof system and begin preparations for a new exterior.

The Foley Fire Rescue Department is also working to renovate and rebuild its fire training facility burn tower during the current fiscal year.