Built for the Mission: Springfield Township Volunteer Fire Department

The Mission

With only one hydrant in its 36-square-mile response area, Springfield Township needed an apparatus capable of serving as its first-out engine, primary water supply, and mutual aid response vehicle.

Rather than adding another specialized truck to the fleet, the department wanted one apparatus that could perform multiple critical roles.

The Challenge

Springfield Township's response area includes:

• Rural communities without hydrant infrastructure

• Interstate 94

• State Highway 20

• Residential, commercial, and light industrial properties

• Frequent motor vehicle accidents

The department needed an apparatus that could deliver large water capacity, provide foam capability, support structure fires and vehicle fires, and integrate seamlessly into mutual aid operations.

The Spencer Solution

Spencer engineered a custom pumper-tanker designed around the department's response strategy.

Key design priorities included:

• A 3,000-gallon water tank to maximize rural water supply

• Foam capability on all preconnected attack lines

• Multiple dump valves to support rapid water shuttle operations

• Front suction and discharge connections for flexible deployment

• Integrated storage for rescue, firefighting, and water supply equipment

Every design decision supported one goal: allowing crews to arrive with everything needed to handle a wide range of incidents from a single apparatus.

Operational Impact

Today, Springfield Township uses the pumper-tanker as its first-out engine and as a mutual aid apparatus for neighboring departments. Instead of relying on portable dump tanks, the department uses its tankers as mobile hydrants, creating an efficient rural water supply operation that reflects how they respond every day.

See specs and photos: https://www.spencerfiretrucks.com/trucks/p/springfield-township-fd-in