Station 1 of the Liverpool Fire Department recently integrated two new Pierce trucks into their fleet of fire rescue vehicles. Last year, they purchased a new 34’ Pierce Pumper Enforcer, and this year they purchased a new Pierce Walk-In Rescue Arrow XT.
One of the guys at the Liverpool Fire Department is friends with Will Abold from CNY Auto Spa (a Glidecoat Certified Pro) and has seen his Glidecoat Ceramic Coating applications first-hand. He put Will in touch with the Liverpool Fire Department Chief, Chief Smith, to discuss applying Glidecoat’s Pro Auto Ceramic Coating to their new trucks. Chief Smith was very impressed with examples of Will’s past ceramic coating applications and wants to protect their new investments.
Goals
- To add additional gloss and shine to the trucks while protecting the finish.
- To make the trucks easier to clean and maintain.
- To make the surface hydrophobic and easier to dry/ avoid water spots.
- Owner
- Liverpool Fire Department, Station #1
- Vehicle 1
- 2022 Pierce Walk-In Rescue Arrow XT 38'
- Vehicle 2
- 2021 Pierce Pumper Enforcer 34'
- Location
- Liverpool, New York
Most Fire Departments operate under a strict budget, so purchasing two new trucks was a significant investment for the Liverpool FD. These vehicles get a lot of use and Chief Smith has seen firsthand how quickly a fire rescue vehicle’s finish can wear if not properly maintained. In addition, they spent a lot of time washing and maintaining these vehicles and are always looking for way to make their processes more efficient.
Since the trucks were both fairly new, they did not require a ton of surface preparation. That said, both trucks have a significant amount of surface area and have had previous challenges with water spots, so Will knew he would need to take extra precautions to ensure the vehicle was fully dried prior to applying the ceramic coating. Both trucks had a lot of areas for water to get trapped while washing the vehicles, and water dripping from these areas could interfere with the application process if not fully dried.
The following describes the process used by Will Abold from CNY Auto Spa:
- First, Will rinsed the trucks to remove any surface dirt, then applied an iron remover treatment to the surface.
- After rinsing the trucks again to wash away the iron remover, Will used a foam cannon to thoroughly wash both vehicles, rinsing well to ensure no soap was left on the surface.
- Next, hand dried the trucks and left them to dry overnight, as he knew water had inevitably gotten into the nooks and crannies and needed time to drip out.
- He returned the next morning wand wiped the trucks down with Glide Surface Wipe to prepare the surface to be coated.
- Lastly, Will applied one coat of Glidecoat’s Pro Auto Ceramic Coating on both trucks, including the roofs and behind the cabs.
