VINTON–The Atlantic Emergency Solutions Regional Service Center has been located at 845 Third Street in Vinton for the past five years. They provide service to fire and emergency vehicles 24 hours a day/seven days a week as well as roadside service to the local area.
With a rapidly growing business, the company began a widespread search throughout the region from Christiansburg to Troutville for a facility to house their Collision Center which repairs fire and emergency vehicles, builds brush trucks and tow trucks, and remounts ambulances.
“Adding a full service collision center increases our ability to repair fire and emergency vehicles involved in any type of accident,” said Joe Pack, President and CEO of Atlantic. “Combined with the service center, this enables us to provide a total service solution for emergency vehicles throughout our territory.”
Oddly enough they found their new facility sitting just down the street from their service center–at 930 Third Street in a building formerly occupied by a roofing company.
On October 16, Atlantic along with a host of local dignitaries and public safety personnel, celebrated the official opening at both Third Street locations with speeches, tours, inventory displays, grilled chicken, and a fire hose “uncoupling” ceremony instead of the standard ribbon-cutting.
Roanoke County Board of Supervisors Chair Jason Peters and Vinton Mayor Brad Grose congratulated Atlantic on the continued success of their company. Peters thanked Atlantic for their commitment to the community. Grose expressed his appreciation to Atlantic for choosing to remain and expand in the town of Vinton.
In his remarks to the large crowd assembled for the occasion, Pack mentioned that the Vinton area is “steeped in fire truck tradition” with the familiar history of the Oren and Grumman fire apparatus manufacturers in Vinton and Roanoke.
He went on to praise local workers who are not only talented in building and repairing fire apparatus, but who are also dedicated to volunteering with local public safety organizations such as fire and EMS squads. In many cases several generations in families have worked to manufacture equipment and volunteered as first responders.
According to a media release from Roanoke County, the new 27,020 square-foot facility sits on a three-acre parcel. Between the two locations, the Collision and Service Centers together employ 25 Atlantic team members. This is the company’s tenth location and adds to nine service centers for fire and emergency vehicles.
Atlantic Emergency Solutions sells fire and rescue emergency vehicles and associated equipment, representing Pierce Manufacturing (ranked first in the nation among fire truck manufacturers), Road Rescue and Wheeled Coach ambulances, Jerr-Dan towing and recovery vehicles, Frontline Communications, Lake Assault Boats, Bear-Kat Manufacturing, and over 300 loose equipment manufacturers. Atlantic installs wrecker and carrier bodies. Bear-Kat Manufacturing builds specialty vehicles like brush trucks for fighting forest fires.
The company serves the states of Delaware, Maryland, the District of Columbia, North Carolina, Virginia, and the West Virginia counties of Berkeley, Morgan, Mineral and Jefferson, as a total solution provider for all their fire and emergency needs. Locally they service Vinton, Roanoke County, Roanoke City, Blacksburg, and many others.
According to their website, www.atlanticemergency.com, “With mobile service trucks operating out of our locations, we are able to repair out-of-service vehicles, as well as provide in-station preventive maintenance and repairs.”
The company says that they recognize that buying emergency equipment is more than a purchase—given the prices of emergency vehicles where fire trucks cost upwards of $250,000—it’s an investment for local governments and taxpayers. Their goal is to provide not only the best equipment but the best service for that equipment.
“That model of having service available has helped us grow our business because we are available and willing and able to help any customer on any day at any time,” said Pack.”Citizens’ lives depend on it.”
