When you think of a fire truck, the image of a shiny red engine with gold lettering is most likely what comes to mind. This iconic look has symbolized the fire service for over a century.

But in recent years, advancements in technology and graphics applications have given fire departments the flexibility to cost-effectively branch out from tradition and incorporate custom graphics that signify pride and commitment to the local community where they serve.

When it comes to custom fire truck graphics, there’s not much the Pierce Manufacturing graphics team can’t do.

How Custom Designs Come to Life

There was a time when artists would hand paint a mural or scene directly on the apparatus, which could be time-consuming and costly. Nowadays, original artwork, photos, and images can be scanned into electronic formats and sized to fit the apparatus. Then, the image is printed onto high-quality vinyl decal material with a large-format inkjet printer. The decals are then applied to the apparatus by the graphics team.

Waukesha, Wisconsin, Community Pride

The City of Waukesha Fire Department in Wisconsin has taken the concept of custom fire truck graphics to a new level.

The department is made up of five stations and 106 employees that serve 72,000 residents in a 25-square mile area. In 2014, the department was set to replace an aging ladder truck stationed to protect an area of the city where Waukesha South High School is located.

High School Themed Fire Truck

“During the design phase of our new ladder truck order in 2014, members of the department had the idea to incorporate the logo of the local high school on the truck as a way to show our support for the school and the community,” said Joe Hoffman, assistant fire chief for the City of Waukesha Fire Department. “The students loved it, and many high school graduates expressed their pride when they saw the truck.”

After seeing the positive community response to the school-themed ladder truck, the Waukesha Fire Department continued their creative support with each truck purchase in the years to follow.

According to Chief Hoffman, this process was uncomplicated because of Pierce graphics department’s resources and service. “I can’t say enough about Pierce and the people who work in the graphics department,” he said. “Their ideas, capabilities, and creative talent always blow us away.”

Learn more about the detailed graphics process and how to select the right option for your rig.

Guitar Themed Fire Truck

When it was time for the Waukesha Fire Department to replace an engine in 2018 for station 4, the team talked about the most relevant theme. With no high school in that designated area of the city, they looked to residents for ideas.

As the birthplace of Les Paul, one of the pioneers of the solid-body guitar and inspiration for the Gibson Les Paul, Waukesha is known as a “guitar town,” and it was suggested that the engine incorporate graphics to reflect these important details of the city’s history.

Chief Hoffman and his team worked with Cream City Guitars of Brookfield, Wisconsin, to help produce the perfect imagery and historical elements that would best honor Les Paul and his musical tie to the community.

It’s one thing to get the imagery just right—but the custom graphics must also provide critical safety features under the National Fire Protection Association regulations. The Waukesha Fire Department got creative with their compliance of these regulations and used reflective striping to make a musical score on the side of the Les Paul-themed fire truck. 

Community Support at the Heart of the Department

In 2019, when a fire engine was produced by Pierce to support Waukesha’s south side of town, the team decided to incorporate a water theme representing the geographic proximity to the Fox River.

In recent months, the Waukesha Fire Department has had a fire truck in production that will serve the city’s downtown area and will incorporate unique images representing its historic streetscape.

Chief Hoffman stated, “We worked with local artists for our newest fire truck to create a theme that honors the historic downtown and our vibrant arts scene.” The downtown-themed fire truck is scheduled to be delivered in September 2020.

Chief Hoffman noted the necessity of graphics on fire trucks for safety purposes, but that it’s nice to have the option to tie custom imagery to the pride they have as a department and represent unique attributes of their community. The custom graphics also help citizens identify which fire engine or ladder truck supports their area of town.

“Our themed trucks have definitely been a point of pride for the community,” said Chief Hoffman.

In addition to custom fire truck graphics, the Waukesha Fire Department also shows its loyalty and pride by supporting Wisconsin businesses in any way possible. Chief Hoffman continued, “We like that our rigs tie back to Wisconsin, and we can’t say enough about what a great manufacturer Pierce is, and the level of service we receive.”

Is your fire department looking for more fire truck graphic inspiration? View our new deliveries gallery now!