City of Florence, OR

10/15/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/15/2024 14:56

Florence Police Department Expands Fleet with Two New Hybrid Pickup Trucks

The Florence Police Department is pleased to announce the acquisition of two new 2024 Ford F150 Super Crew Cab 4x4 full gas-electric hybrid pickup trucks. These vehicles will bolster the department's fleet, improving its ability to respond to emergencies, support officers in the field, and handle the diverse demands of law enforcement. Community members will begin seeing these new Florence Police Department trucks on patrol beginning this month.

With these two new vehicles adding diversity to the fleet, the Police Department ensures that its fleet remains fully operational and prepared for any emergency, while rotating out vehicles that have reached the end of their useful life for Police use. This purchase aligns with the City of Florence's long-term commitment to sustainability and maintaining high-quality services for the community. By investing in vehicles that meet both current and future demands the City continues to uphold its goals of stewarding Financial and Organization Sustainability, as well as providing cost effective and efficiency City Service Delivery.

Key Features of the New Ford F150 Hybrid Trucks:

  • Advanced Capabilities:The trucks offer a four-wheel-drive system, 10-speed hybrid electric automatic transmission, and onboard power for extended field operations, which ensures the department can meet the challenges of any situation.
  • Versatile for Law Enforcement:Each vehicle has been upfitted with lights, sirens, partitions, and advanced communication systems, ensuring that officers are well-equipped for duty.
  • Hybrid Efficiency:The trucks are equipped with a 3.5L PowerBoostâ„¢ full hybrid engine, providing exceptional fuel efficiency with the ability to switch between gas and electric power seamlessly.
  • Emergency Management Preparedness:The trucks' high towing capacity (10,000 pounds) and payload (2,000 pounds) provide officers with the tools to manage critical situations, including disaster response, transporting essential equipment, and maintaining mobility in adverse weather conditions. The vehicles also come upfitted with a 7.2 kW onboard power generator.

Addressing Supply Chain Challenges

The Florence City Council authorized the purchase of these two vehicles in November 2023. The total cost of the trucks, including necessary police equipment upfitting, was approximately $148,000. The two trucks were delivered this summer and have been in Salem being upfitted with the necessary equipment.

Typically, the Department would purchase one vehicle per year, but due to concerns about delivery delays related to semiconductor shortages, both trucks were ordered simultaneously to ensure delivery this biennium. The decision to purchase two vehicles at once was made due to ongoing supply chain issues, which have delayed the Department's previous vehicle orders, including a 2023 Ford Police Interceptor Utility Vehicle that the Department decided to cancel after over a year of waiting and will be ordering another truck instead.

The vehicles were secured through the Oregon Procurement Information Network (ORPIN) from Johnston Motors, the local Ford dealership, and were upfitted by Lehr, a premier emergency vehicle upfitter, to meet the Department's operational requirements.

For more information or questions, contact the Florence Police Department at (541) 997-3515.