Hillsborough County Fire Rescue has officially committed to 12 Kenworth chassis for their next Horton fleet order. This purchase represents the largest EMS fleet order for the Kenworth Truck Company, a relatively new player in the ambulance market. The new Hillsborough ambulances will feature a longer layout, allowing for custom bunker gear/firefighter compartments at the head of the module. Providing a reliable solution for the hot Florida climate, the new fleet will also include Proaire HEPA filtration and 100,000 BTU capacity Cool-Tech IIT M. Horton’s exclusive rollover occupant protection system, HOPS, will be installed on both the bench and main walls.
Hillsborough County, a longtime Horton customer, assessed and discussed the chassis option with Florida Horton representative, Michael Day of Hall-Mark Fire Apparatus. Day provided additional insight on Hillsborough’s decision: “The representatives from Hillsborough County test drove a Kenworth chassis ambulance and loved the ride quality. We all are confident that the benefits of a Kenworth chassis will meet the needs of this department.”
Interest in the Kenworth chassis for medium duty ambulances has been increasing over the past few years. Recent customer feedback has been largely positive, with customers citing reliability, ride and engine size as main benefits. In April, Med-Trans purchased tree new MICU units from Horton, increasing their fleet size to a total of five ambulances. Other notable Kenworth customers include Jefferson Township (OH) and Cone Health (NC).
