A screenshot of the new Rosenbauer RT - Next Gen hybrid fire engines.

DC’s Fire and EMS Department took to Twitter Thursday to share a video of a smaller, electricity-powered fire truck that had urbanist fans excited. Why?

The size of emergency vehicles has long been used as a reason not to reappropriate road space for other uses, like bike lanes and pedestrian space. So narrower vehicles with four-wheel turns could open up more city streets to planning that centers other needs. Commenters also highlighted the volume of diesel exhaust, and noise, emanating from traditional American fire trucks.

So do they have to be so big? Smaller, quieter fire trucks are the default in European and Asian countries with no apparent elevation in fire risks. A documentary flagged by one observer suggests that today’s American fire trucks are based on historical designs for vehicles for military use.

Few would argue with the importance of emergency vehicles reaching their destinations quickly. But if the same or an even better job could be done with vehicles that produce fewer negative side effects, it’s a prospect planners should look at carefully, with a “what if” not a “could never” lens. DC’s no stranger to innovation in this sphere, having established a fire station inside a hotel in Capitol Hill in 2015.

It’s not clear whether the city has plans to purchase these vehicles. But doing so could fit into DC’s sustainability and safety goals, if it paves the way for narrower roads.

Rosenbauer America’s promotional video gives more details on how the truck operates and its various benefits, with a vibe I can best describe as “environmentally conscious machismo.”

DC FEMS says the truck will be around Friday outside the quarters of Engine 4 on New Jersey Ave NW.

Tagged: roads

Caitlin Rogger is deputy executive director at Greater Greater Washington. Broadly interested in structural determinants of social, economic, and political outcomes in urban settings, she worked in public health prior to joining GGWash. She lives in Capitol Hill.