Denton debuts Texas' first electric fire truck

• Denton officials say the electric fire truck will help the environment, address their vehicle shortage and help reduce firefighters' exposure to carcinogens.

Driving the news: Denton residents joined the Fire Department in a ceremony last week to wash the new truck and help push it into its new home.

The intrigue: Fire Station 1, where the Pierce Volterra truck is located, sits on the site of Denton's first diesel plant, which was built in 1935.

• Denton firefighters have nicknamed the station the "Powerhouse."

How it works: The new truck's exterior looks similar to Denton's other engines, but there is more space inside the cab.

• The truck will likely be charged at the fire station between calls. It can also fully charge in around 90 minutes, per the Denton Record-Chronicle.
• The EV mode allows for zero-emission pumping and driving. There is also backup diesel in case the truck has to be used in hybrid mode.

Fun fact: "It's extremely quiet. I think we've all been very surprised by that," Scott Beckwith, a sales representative at Siddons Martin Emergency Group, said in a video introducing Denton's fire truck.

Follow the money: The electric truck cost the city $1.8 million, about $600,000 more than a diesel-powered truck, per WFAA.

What they're saying: "The addition of Texas' first electric fire truck marks a new era for the Denton Fire Department and the future of emergency response," Denton Fire Chief Kenneth Hedges said in a statement.