Naval Support Activity Naples in Italy recently added a European-style pumper truck and rescue squad truck to the fire department fleet. The trucks replaced older American versions that had become unreliable and were difficult to repair due to long wait times for parts. (Alison Bath/Stars and Stripes)

NAPLES, Italy — Two recently acquired European-style fire trucks are helping firefighters at U.S. Naval Support Activity Naples remain fully capable when responding to emergencies.

The new pumper and rescue squad trucks replace older American versions that were well past their 15-year service lives.

Increasingly, those older trucks needed repairs requiring parts that could take as long as six months to arrive, which could have compromised the department’s ability to respond to a fire or other emergency, NSA Naples Fire Chief Jason Kinlaw said.

The department typically reserves a truck for backup in case another needs maintenance or repairs, but due to the parts backlog, it frequently did not have a spare.

The older trucks “put us in a pretty tight bind (that) one little breakdown can really impact the mission,” Kinlaw said.

The new fire trucks at NSA Naples are customized to the department’s specific requirements. For example, the northern Italy company that assembled the trucks measured the department’s tools and other equipment and designed spaces on the Swedish-made frames to precisely fit them.

“We have custom compartments to fit all of our equipment so that it’s stored properly, it’s stored safely and it efficiently fits together,” Kinlaw said.

The trucks’ shorter wheelbase means better maneuverability in tight, confined spaces such as those at Capodichino, NSA Naples’ administrative site that is home to U.S. 6th Fleet.

The fire department at Naval Support Activity Naples in Italy recently added two new European-style fire trucks to its fleet. Officials say the $1.1 million investment in the new trucks will better support the department's emergency response needs. (Alison Bath/Stars and Stripes)

The wait time for needed parts for the vehicles is estimated to be days at the most, Kinlaw and other fire department officials said.

Because the new ones won’t be spending as much time in the shop, the department can count on them to be more reliably in service, he added.

Kinlaw said that on average, NSA Naples firefighters respond to about two calls daily for fires, medical emergencies and other situations between the base’s two sites, known as Support Site and Capodichino.

Consolidation of American fire truck manufacturers in recent years has exacerbated a multiyear backlog for new trucks, putting the squeeze on the ability of fire departments across the country to adequately respond to emergencies, The New York Times reported in February.

It’s also adding pressure to an already-stressed supply chain now struggling to keep up with demand for spare parts as departments are forced to hold on to older trucks that need frequent repairs and maintenance.

That problem is further complicated by the fact that many fire trucks are custom-made, requiring specialized replacement parts, according to industry officials.

The industry disruption has seen fire departments left with deteriorated fleets more likely to break down, including in emergencies, the Times reported.

The issue prompted a bipartisan congressional investigation into soaring prices and lengthy waits — as long as 4½ years in some cases — for new fire trucks, the New York Post reported in April.

Prices for American-made fire trucks have risen sharply, with pumper trucks now often costing more than $1 million, according to the New York Post report. NSA Naples paid about $1.1 million to acquire its pair of vehicles.

For now, the new NSA Naples trucks are assigned to Support Site, which includes housing, schools, a hotel and a hospital. Support Site is about 13 miles northeast of Capodichino.

The vehicle additions also cap a multiyear effort to remodel the fire station at Capodichino that included an industrial kitchen and individual sleeping rooms instead of a bunk house for firefighters.

The estimated $600,000 remodel improves quality of life for firefighters who spend long hours on the job, Kinlaw said.

“We live together as a family,” he said. “This was critically important to us.”

Interior compartments of the new European-style fire trucks at Naval Support Activity Naples in Italy were custom-designed to store firefighter equipment efficiently. (Alison Bath/Stars and Stripes)

This rescue squad vehicle is one of two new European-style fire trucks at Naval Support Activity Naples in Italy. (Alison Bath/Stars and Stripes)