The Montgomery Fire Department took delivery of a new Spartan NXT Quint with a 110-foot aerial ladder, replacing an apparatus that had served the city for about 23 years.

The city announced the arrival on Friday, Sept. 25, calling the purchase a major investment in firefighter and community safety. The city did not disclose the purchase price.

A Quint serves as both a fire engine and an aerial ladder truck in one vehicle. Montgomery's new unit carries pump and water-supply equipment alongside the 110-foot ladder, giving crews tools for structure fires, rescues and other emergencies that require elevated access. Before the upgrade, those capabilities required separate apparatus.

Firefighters began training on the truck during the week of Sept. 25, the city said on its official Instagram account. The department has not announced a date for placing the Quint into full service or a timeline for retiring the old unit.

The new apparatus arrives during a period of broader investment in Montgomery's public safety infrastructure. The city's Safety Center, built in the mid-1990s, is slated for an expansion that will relocate fire apparatus bays to the south side of the building. That project will let emergency vehicles exit directly onto Montgomery Road, improving response times, according to the city.

Montgomery voters approved a 6-mil Fire/EMS levy in 2018, replacing a 5.5-mil levy that had funded the department for 19 years, according to the department's 2020 annual report. That vote also enabled the department's transition to full-time staffing.

No public ceremony or formal unveiling has been announced for the new truck.