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Orangeville Fire Service welcomes new ladder truck with push-in ceremony

September 24, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Joshua Drakes

Orangeville Fire Service has officially added a new aerial ladder truck to its fleet, replacing a 25-year-old vehicle as the community prepares for continued growth and development.

The new truck, designated Tower 15, was unveiled during a push-in ceremony on Wednesday, Sept. 23. Orangeville Mayor Lisa Post, Dufferin-Caledon MPP Sylvia Jones, Fire Chief John Snider, members of Orangeville Fire Service, and representatives from neighbouring fire departments, including Shelburne and Caledon, attended.

Chief Snider called it an important investment in the future of community safety.

“We’re really excited about it, this is a true investment in community safety,” he said. “It is a very expensive truck, but it will be in service here for the next 25 years. Firefighters take incredibly good care of their vehicles and their station, and that allows that truck to stay here for 25 years and be used.”

The new truck represents a long-term investment in both firefighter and community safety. According to the fire service, the vehicle is expected to remain in service for approximately 25 years, with firefighters receiving extensive training before operating it.

Orangeville Mayor Lisa Post congratulated the fire service and town staff who worked together to make this acquisition for the community.

“I think when the community sees a piece of equipment like this, they see a shiny, cool fire truck,” she said. “But what they don’t see is the amount of time and investment and thoughtfulness that goes into a purchase like this. So this took us a number of years to figure out exactly what we needed and think about the long-term plan for the community.”

“I want to do a special shout-out to the team who put all of this together, and our community services staff. This represents a really strong moment in our community when we can officially put Tower 15 into our fleet.”

The replacement comes as Orangeville experiences increasing densification and infill development, including taller buildings and structures that can present additional challenges for firefighters.

Unlike the outgoing straight ladder truck, which can extend 100 feet but requires greater space to position, the new aerial apparatus is designed to operate more effectively in tighter spaces. The truck includes a bucket that lets firefighters work from an elevated platform, providing greater flexibility when accessing buildings and reducing the need to climb the full length of an aerial ladder.

Snider said that the vehicle will also improve the department’s ability to respond in areas such as Broadway, where positioning a traditional ladder truck can require significant road closures.

“Why is this truck so important? As you know, in Orangeville, we’re starting to look at more densification. We’re looking at infill. We’re looking at buildings being taller. We’re looking at harder to reach places. This truck will make a difference in that. Our old ladder truck is a straight ladder truck. It goes 100 feet in the air. The ladder is not able to be too close to the truck. [This truck] would allow us to operate on Broadway much more effectively.”

The truck’s design was the result of several years of planning and consultation, with a truck committee working with crews to determine the equipment and specifications needed for the community.

Deputy Premier and MPP Sylvia Jones, also in attendance, highlighted not only the truck’s new capability for Orangeville, but also its capacity to assist the wider community in mutual aid calls. She also highlighted the nearby and still-under-construction firehouse, which represents an ongoing commitment from the province to support and develop fire services.

“As Mayor Post said, this isn’t about a piece of equipment,” she said. “This is actually about community safety and firefighter safety. I am particularly proud as we are literally around the corner from another investment that is happening with Orangeville Fire and the provincial commitment of $3.6 million to assist with that new build. So congratulations, Chief Snider, and let’s get Tower 15 into operation.”

The ceremony then concluded with a traditional push-in, a practice dating back to the days of horse-drawn fire apparatus, when firefighters would push their vehicles back into the station following a call.

The new truck will also support Orangeville’s mutual-aid relationships with surrounding communities when additional firefighting resources are required.

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