By: McKenna Golat | Southfield Sun | Published March 10, 2026
SOUTHFIELD — The Southfield Fire Department earlier this week unveiled its newest emergency response vehicle, a Sutphen Aerial Tower 5, and allowed the public to get a close-up look.
The Southfield Fire Department held a presentation for the new vehicle March 9 in front of the Southfield Municipal Building, located at 26000 Evergreen Road. Residents were invited to view the apparatus and learn more about the Fire Department’s emergency response equipment.
The vehicle is a $1.8 million investment and took approximately three years to acquire. The addition of the new vehicle is meant to strengthen the Southfield Fire Department’s ability to respond to emergency situations quickly, operate safely and continue to provide fire protection to the Southfield community. This vehicle will be the second ladder vehicle operated by the Southfield Fire Department.
“This is a critical addition to our fleet and an important investment in the safety of our firefighters and the community we serve,” Southfield Fire Chief Joey Thorington said.
The Sutphen Aerial Tower 5 has a 100-foot ladder with a platform for reaching multistory buildings, a pinless jack stabilization system, 183 feet of ground ladders for additional access, a 2,000-gallon-per-minute water pump, two remote controlled nozzles on the ladder platform that can be operated from the ground, a remote video display that allows firefighters to have an elevated view of fire scenes, 500 feet of supply hose and a 300-gallon onboard water tank.
Thorington said the Sutphen Aerial Tower 5 is versatile and will be a benefit to not only the Southfield Fire Department, but to neighboring communities that need mutual aid for fires.
Firefighters will spend the next few weeks training with the new vehicle to become fully familiar with its features and capabilities. It will be housed at Station 5, 24477 Lahser Road.
Battalion Chief Tim Miller said the Sutphen Aerial Tower 5 was equipped according to the needs of the Southfield community. He said the vehicle had its final inspection in December, so it should be ready for operation soon.
“Hopefully, we will see it rolling down the street by the end of the month,” he said.
Miller said fire emergency vehicles typically have a lifespan of 25 years, so this is a true investment for the Fire Department and the city of Southfield as a whole.