Overview: Fire Department Brings on an Electric Fire Apparatus
Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) has a mission to promote a safe work environment for all people who live and work in Portland and the surrounding areas. They provide an extensive range of public safety services including fire prevention, public education, response to fire, medical and other emergency incidents and disaster mitigation. PF&R operates 28 engine companies and ten truck companies from 31 stations located throughout the city.
As a leader in electrification efforts and to support its environmental sustainability efforts, PF&R entered into a joint development agreement with Pierce Manufacturing, Inc. to collaborate on the development and evaluation process of the Pierce® Volterra™ electric fire apparatus—the second fire emergency vehicle to be put into service in North America. FTI is Pierce’s preferred provider of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.
Challenge: Not Enough Power for EV Charging
The fire station with the electric vehicle did not have enough voltage to support the direct current fast charging (DCFC) system required for charging. Space constraints and equipment locations were also a concern for this busy fire station.
Solution: Installation of Transformer Equipment for EV Charging
A full-solutions provider, FTI provided turnkey design and installation of the proper transformer equipment to increase the voltage to 480V and support the vehicle charger. FTI’s end-to-end approach began with a site visit, leading to a conceptual design that included pricing, detailed design, full procurement, installation and final commissioning and turnover. The charger specified was based on the expected customer usage profile of the vehicle and was mounted in a lower-traffic area of the building. The depot box and charging cord were ceiling mounted, enabling continued operation of the station without any interference from the charger and charging cable.
