By Laura French
EUGENE, Ore. — An Oregon fire department has begun a pilot program to test a compact emergency vehicle designed to quickly reach emergencies while being energy-efficient and environmentally friendly.
The Eugene Springfield Fire Department will work with electric vehicle company Arcimoto to test the three-wheeled Rapid Responder, which can travel at a top speed of 75 miles per hour and features a miniature lightbar and siren, 360-degree scene lights, a cargo compartment, equipment rack and seating for two crewmembers.
“With its maneuverable small footprint and ability to go where big trucks can’t, we believe the Rapid Responder is the perfect solution for departments seeking to cut carbon emissions and fuel costs while improving response times,” said Arcimoto CEO Mark Frohnmayer, in a statement.
Eugene Springfield Fire will be the first agency to test the Rapid Responder, which is planned to go into full production later this year.
“At Eugene Springfield Fire, we pride ourselves on being a progressive organization that is always in search of innovative new ways to improve our services,” Fire Chief Chris Heppel said in a statement. “In 2019, we responded to more than 40,000 emergency calls, and a large number of those could have been better serviced using the Arcimoto Rapid Responder. We are extremely proud to be the first firehouse in the world to deploy this cutting-edge vehicle, and look forward to working with Arcimoto in this pilot program to create a world-class EMS solution.”