Mesa says it will be the first city in the United States to use an all-electric fire truck. On Monday, the City Council approved the $1.4 million purchase.

It should look like other trucks in the fleet but rather than run on diesel, it’ll run on a charge with low to no carbon emissions. It will also produce less noise pollution. The all-electric truck should be able to run ten medical calls back-to-back or pump water for four hours on a single charge. 

The truck will be assigned to Mesa Fire and Medical Department Station 221 near Ray and Ellsworth roads. That station will open in November and the truck’s expected to arrive in late 2022.

“I’m an advocate for electric vehicles — it’s a better technology and this is one of many steps we can take to bring us closer to our Climate Action Plan goals,” said Mayor John Giles in a press release. “We look forward to this as a study in the potential cost-savings and efficiency of electric vehicles in City operations.”

The unit will have low to no carbon emissions and will match specifications of the existing fleet of Mesa fire trucks. The truck also has considerably less noise pollution, range extension for prolonged power needs and long-life batteries and can pump four hose lines at 750 gallons per minute for four hours on a single charge. 

“As a former fire fighter, I fully endorse putting these types of fire apparatus into our city operations — it’s a great turning point,” Councilmember Mark Freeman said in a press release. “Mesa was the first to provide paramedic service to our residents in the late 1970s, the first to establish a hazardous materials team and an immunization team. We’ve been leaders in technology with paramedic and medical response for some time and this is another step toward the future, helping the city to reach its sustainability goals.”

 The truck will be assigned to Mesa Fire and Medical Department Station 221 near Ray and Ellsworth roads. That station will open in November, and the truck’s expected to arrive in late 2022.