KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Knoxville Fire Department will soon hit the streets in a new firetruck — a hook and ladder truck.
The new truck is around 10 feet longer than their current ones, and also features an extra steering wheel towards the back. It is meant to give drivers more control of the truck while responding to calls. The truck is split into two units that drivers can control.
"Driving in the front is not too much different than driving a regular firetruck, but driving the back is," said Greg Lampkin, a Battalion Chief at KFD. "Everything steers backward, opposite as you would think. So you gotta have some good reflexes to get it straightened back up."
They said that the new truck was a necessary purchase after responders had difficulty maneuvering the roads. They said as roads were redeveloped around Knoxville, they have had a harder time responding to calls.
Training started on the new truck Thursday, and officials said that it can take 120 hours of training to become an instructor for a hook and ladder truck.