One of Mississippi’s oldest fire departments has some new technology.

Monday morning, Vicksburg Fire Chief Craig Danczyk and members of the Vicksburg Fire Department officially put two new pumpers in the department’s fleet.

“The Vicksburg Fire Department is one of the oldest departments in the state, dating back to April 14, 1837,” Danczyk said. “Those times have changed but the mission of service has not changed. We have worked diligently to improve our fire, EMS and rescue services at the Vicksburg Fire Department.

“The addition of Engine 7 and Engine 8 to our fleet is another example of our commitment to public safety in Vicksburg, Miss.,” he said. “A lot of thought and discussion went into the design of the trucks, beginning with talking to firefighters and asking them what features they would like to see.”

Danczyk said the E-1 Typhoon pumpers were ordered by the department in 2021 from Sunbelt Fire Apparatus of Fairhope, Ala. They were delivered in July, representing a $1.1 million investment for the city.

Mayor George Flaggs Jr. called the brief ceremony unveiling the trucks a celebration.

“Any time you can advance in technology and in service to the city it’s a celebration,” he said. “I’m told by the chief and others these are the best and the first in technology so any time you can invest in technology and at the same time provide service at a low cost to the taxpayer, I think that’s phenomenal.”

Addressing the firefighters at the ceremony, Flaggs said, “The service you provide for us, I want you to know, doesn’t go unnoticed. We want to thank you and your families for the sacrifices you make for us.”

The trucks will replace two older pumpers in the fleet, one purchased in 1993 and the other in 2000. The 1993 truck, which was damaged during the 2021 ice storm, will be retired. The 2000 truck will be used as a reserve truck. Engine 7 will be stationed at Station 7 on Washington Street. Engine 8 will be at Station 8 at Halls Ferry Park.

Both diesel-powered pumpers have 1,500-gallon-per-minute pumps, with 1,000-gallon water tanks.

“I’m very excited about the water capacity of these trucks,” Danczyk said. “It’s 33 percent bigger than anything else in the fleet. Every pumper in the fleet has a 750-gallon tank. When these trucks pull up first in, you’ll have more water to do the job or if you’re backing up another truck, you’re bringing more water to the scene. That’s tremendous.”

The trucks also each have 65-gallon diesel tanks and storage room for 10 spare air bottles. Of the air bottle storage, Danczyk said, “that’s a big deal. We have really well laid out equipment storage to give us more tools to have on the scene.”

Each truck has 400 feet of hose in a bumper storage box, a backup camera and bumper storage for400 feet of hose and LED lighting on the front sides and rear and traffic aids to help notify traffic when they are working on the streets.