By David F. Rooney
American LaFrance, LLC, the company that manufactured Revelstoke’s shiny new aerial ladder truck, has unexpectedly closed its warehouse, production and service facilities in three US locations.
According to news reports from the US the company “is advising its customers that they will be able to continue obtaining replacement parts and service for vehicles manufactured by American LaFrance from a new third-party vendor.”
“American LaFrance will contact customers with information about where they can obtain parts and service for their vehicles in the near future,” according to American news reports.
The facilities in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, Ephrata, Pennsylvania, and Los Angeles, California, are not expected to reopen.
Rob Girard, chief of Revelstoke’s Fire Rescue Service, said the closure should not affect the operation of its new No. 6 ladder truck. Parts will continue to be available, as needed, he said.
Revelstoke took possession of the new truck, which replaced the department’s 36 year-old Scot Snorkel truck, last Thursday.
Girard noted, with some irony, that Revelstoke is used to dealing with machines whose manufacturers are now defunct.
Scot trucks were built by Atlantic Truck Manufacturing Limited in Debert, Nova Scotia. The first production truck was completed on May 27, 1972, and production ceased on May 29, 1980. A total of 1,155 Scot trucks were built. It is estimated that 40 per cent were used by companies in the Irving group; 25 per cent by federal and provincial governments; 25 per cent as fire trucks; and 10 per cent by other customers.
Revelstoke’s machine was operational until the arrival of the new ladder truck. It will, Girard said, be disposed of on the BC Bid website.
