City of Merced introduces brand new fire squad vehicle

MERCED, Calif. (KFSN) -- The City of Merced is celebrating the expansion of its fire department.

On Monday, the city implemented Squad 53, which will serve out of Station 53.

This covers the north Merced area.

The squad is made up of a large Ford F-550 pickup with a large utility box.

It's smaller than a fire engine and fire truck, and it's equipped a little differently.

"It has about 300 gallons of water and has a 100 gpm pump. This piece of equipment is specifically designed to provide an efficient response to our community," said Interim Fire Chief Casey Wilson.

This marks the first expansion of the department's frontline response fleet in 65 years, strengthening the ability to protect and serve a growing Merced community.