The City of Wheeling’s Warwood fire station is finally home to a brand-new engine truck!

New Engine 9 – housed at Station 9 on Richland Avenue is a 2022 Sutphen 1750 GPM (gallons per minute) Shield Pumper. The truck rolled off the assembly line at the Sutphen Corporation facility in Dublin, Ohio in late April, but wasn’t officially put in service by the Wheeling Fire Department until Sunday, June 5.

New Engine 9 is the first brand new fire truck for the Warwood station since 1962. Many used fire trucks have served the area since then, with the most recent being a 1987 model. 

“We sure did get good use out of our former 35-year-old truck for Warwood,” said Wheeling Fire Chief Jim Blazier. “This new, up-to-date addition to our fleet ensures that the Wheeling Fire Department is well equipped to fight fires and respond to various emergencies for another generation.”

In recent years, the fire department has been able to update its fleet, most recently with two new ambulances, and a new ladder truck in 2021. The new additions also allow WFD to keep older models in service for spares. 

Wheeling City Council passed an ordinance to purchase Engine 9 in December 2020, using money from the city’s project fund.