Markham debuts new Drago units to modernize firefighting department
By David Yin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
The City of Markham unveiled two new Drago units outside the Markham Civic Centre on Oct. 21 to help modernize its firefighting department.
Mayor Frank Scarpitti, Chief Administrative Officer Andy Taylor, and Fire Chief Chris Nearing attended the event alongside various councillors and fire crew members.
Each Drago unit is a 7.3 m long support vehicle with a patented spray cannon that absorbs five times more heat while using 70 per cent less water than a traditional fire truck. Along with a high-powered ventilation fan, firefighter foam, and ultra-high-pressure hose lines, each unit can extinguish fires up to 200 ft (60.96 m) away within minutes.
Drago units are equipped with a 45,000-watt generator to power emergency lighting and equipment. They can also be deployed in tight spaces or on uneven terrain, unlike traditional fire trucks.
The city said in a public release that firefighters now require new tools and techniques because modern home and building construction methods allow fires to escalate much faster than before.
“Safety First is the guiding principle we live by,” Scarpitti said. “The DRAGO unit gives our firefighters the capability to extinguish fires from the moment they arrive on the scene.”
“We are thankful for the support of Mayor and Council to consider alternative ways to meet the challenges of modern firefighting in a growing modern city,” Nearing said. “Providing our firefighters with the best education, training, and firefighting equipment not only protects our community, but also those who protect Markham.”
The release said that Markham has continuously achieved one of the lowest fire occurrence rates within the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. It attributed these low rates to hands-on training, post-event analyses, public education strategies, and fire prevention inspections.
Photo: Mayor Frank Scarpitti and Chief Administrative Officer Andy Taylor try out the fire hoses of Markham’s new Drago unit. (City of Markham photo)