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Published on:
October 28, 2024
The Yreka Fire Department, based in Northern California’s Siskiyou County, needed a solution to reach remote areas where larger fire engines couldn’t go. With more wildland fires impacting the region, their limited fleet required an upgrade. The QTAC Super 6™ quickly stood out as the answer.
Yreka’s Captain Robert Goyeneche shared that their previous Type 6 engine struggled with rough terrain. “We’re a small department with limited resources, so we need equipment that can get where our other trucks can’t,” Goyeneche said. During a recent wildland fire within the city, the lack of ground clearance on their engine proved to be a challenge.
After seeing the QTAC Super 6™ at a fire chief’s meeting, the department’s leadership knew they had found a vehicle that could meet their needs. "We worked directly with QTAC, and the process was easy. We got exactly what we needed," Goyeneche said.
The QTAC Super 6™ features a proprietary PolyTough™ body, which initially raised questions among the team. “At first, I wasn’t sure about the plastic body,” Goyeneche admitted. “But when I saw how durable it was on other truck builds, I figured if they can’t break it, neither can we.”
The poly construction proved to be an advantage. “The compartments are deeper, and we were able to customize them exactly to our needs,” Goyeneche said. The flexibility of QTAC’s design process allowed Yreka Fire to work directly with engineers to fine-tune the Super 6™ for their operations.
Assistant Chief BJ Laustalot, who has overseen apparatus builds for 25 years, was impressed with how smoothly the QTAC build went. “It was the smoothest process I’ve experienced. The fit and function are perfect—great ground clearance, easy maneuverability, and exactly what we needed,” Laustalot said.
The Super 6™ doesn’t just handle off-road terrain; it also performs well on the highway. “I was surprised. Even with big tires, it kept up with our command vehicle and gave a really smooth ride,” Goyeneche noted.
The vehicle’s lighting package also earned high marks. "Out here, it’s pitch black once we leave town. The lighting package lights up everything, and we’ve even used it during training and incidents," Goyeneche said.
While the Super 6™ is functional first, it’s also caught the eye of the community. “People stop and stare wherever we go. It’s turned heads all over town,” Laustalot said.
Fire Chief Jerry Lemos added, “It’s a great-looking truck, but more importantly, it performs exactly how we hoped. If we’re spending money, we want something that works—and it does.”
Since bringing the QTAC Super 6™ into service, the team at Yreka Fire has relied on it for quick response to wildland fires and other emergencies. “It gets us through terrain where we’d struggle otherwise. It’s given us versatility we didn’t have before,” Goyeneche said.
The team’s experience with QTAC has been positive from start to finish. Laustalot summed it up: “If you're in the market for a wildland vehicle, call the sales team at QTAC. They’re responsive and make sure everything is handled. It’s been a great experience working with QTAC, and I recommend them to anyone looking for reliable equipment.”
