Penn Valley, CA—Penn Valley Fire Protection District is pleased to announce the acquisition of a new Type 1 Wildland Interface Fire Engine, custom built by Hi-Tech Emergency Vehicle Services in Oakdale, California.
The new engine becomes the first-out engine from Station 43, located at 10513 Spencerville Road in Penn Valley. It carries 650 gallons of water and can pump 1500 gallons per minute.
Ordered in October of 2023 at a cost of $977,000, Engine 43 seats up to four firefighters/paramedics and weighs approximately 37,000 pounds. Given Penn Valley Fire’s diverse response area the new Engine 43 has capabilities to handle urban, commercial and rural scenarios, and is equipped with 3,000 feet of fire hose, vehicle extrication equipment, and enhanced Advanced Life Support (ALS) equipment.
Fire Chief Don Wagner expresses his thanks to the Penn Valley Fire Auxiliary for providing a funding mechanism to support fire engines and ambulances. “This would not be possible without the Penn Valley Fire Auxiliary, who clocked over 12,000 volunteer hours in 2025, as well as everyone who provided thrift shop donations.” said Chief Wagner, who also wishes to acknowledge the extraordinary generosity of local philanthropists who helped fill the funding gap for this new engine. “We have several very special residents in our community who have made a significant contribution to this piece of apparatus. We are very grateful.”