Fishers Fire Dept. firefighters have been training on a pair of new Pierce Saber fire engines for the past week in anticipation of the trucks being fully equipped and ready for service in the field.

The new trucks, designated Engine 392 and Engine 394, are replacing two engines that have been in service for 25 and 16 years. The older trucks will go into reserve status, only to be used to maintain full coverage across the city during the time it takes for a front-line truck to be taken out of service for maintenance.

According to a release from FFD, the estimated life of a fire engine is typically eight to 12 years, plus five years as a reserve truck. The department’s new engines each cost approximately $427,000, which Cpt. John Mehling stated is an estimated $200,000 savings per engine below the recommended list price — savings FFD was able to secure for Fishers residents by being a member of the Houston-Galveston Buying Group, which secures discounted prices through quantity purchasing power.