SPAR Spartan Motors Inc

Spartan ERV (Emergency Response Vehicles), a business unit of Spartan Motors, Inc. (Nasdaq:SPAR), fulfilled a mission-critical role throughout the Huron Challenge - Trillium Resolve, a large-scale emergency management exercise that simulated a natural disaster at the Bruce Power Nuclear Plant in Tiverton, Ontario during the October 15 – 19 timeframe.

Each of five Spartan ERV Star Series Custom Pumpers demonstrated rapid deployment to supply water which could be used to ensure Bruce Power's continued safe operations during the unlikely event that all site power, including back-up and emergency supplies, was lost. During the exercise, each Spartan ERV apparatus (http://spartanerv.com/news.aspx?id=43179) was required to sustain operation reliably for 24 hours. The stringent water flow test was exceptionally demanding:

• Draft water from static source of 20 ft. (574 elevation)
• Apparatus were parked on 591 elevation and required to push water to the 678 elevation (87 ft. delta)
• Maintained 1,500 GPM (Gallons Per Minute). Pre-testing GPM performance: 1,650.

The Huron Challenge event was hosted by Emergency Management Ontario (EMO) with over 50 organizations including local municipalities, police, fire, hospitals, the Red Cross, St. John Ambulance and many more. The demands placed on the apparatus throughout the Huron Challenge were inspired by the Fukushima-Daiichi tragedy which resulted from the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011.

The Star Series Pumper from Spartan ERV was designed, engineered, manufactured and tested by a collaborative team from Dependable Emergency Vehicles of Brampton, Ontario, Spartan ERV and Hale Fire Pumps. The products were developed and delivered within a nine month window and exceeded expectations of all involved, most notably the customers at Bruce Power.

"This exercise was a proof of concept and we demonstrated that all of the enhancements we put in place, including the new pumpers, actually worked to a very high level," said Frank Saunders, Bruce Power's Vice President of Nuclear Oversight and Regulatory Affairs. "The team from Spartan ERV / Dependable Emergency Vehicles delivered an exceptional product that exceeded all of our expectations; not only our product performance expectations, but our customer service, delivery and inspection expectations."

Bruce Power is proud of its safety track record and, although it has all the necessary capabilities to operate safely in an external hazard event, it has launched various initiatives, including the acquisition of Spartan ERV Star Series Custom Pumpers, to complement the existing safety systems that will ensure the company continues its commitment to operating safely to the world's highest standards.

"The team at Spartan ERV is very proud to have been a part of defining this high-performance and high-value solution which is now the global benchmark," said Dennis Schneider, President, Spartan Emergency Response. "The additional product breadth and depth which we acquired in 2011 with the acquisition of what is now our Ocala, FL facility, provides Spartan ERV with the best collection of apparatus and pump solutions across all of our product lines."

About Spartan ERV

Spartan ERV™ is a leading manufacturer of custom fire trucks and other rescue vehicles. A business unit of Spartan Motors, Inc. (Nasdaq:SPAR), Spartan ERV™ is committed to quality, performance and innovation. Drawing on more than 130 years of excellence in fire truck manufacturing, Spartan ERV™ manufactures a full line of pumpers, tankers, rescues, aerials, quick-attack/urban interface vehicles and other emergency-rescue vehicles from its facilities in Florida, Pennsylvania and South Dakota. For more information, visit www.spartanerv.com.

About Spartan Motors

Spartan Motors, Inc. designs, engineers and manufactures specialty chassis, specialty vehicles, truck bodies and aftermarket parts for the recreational vehicle, emergency response, government services, defense, and delivery and service markets. The company's brand names - Spartan™, Spartan ERV™ and Utilimaster® - are known for quality, performance, service and first-to-market innovation. The company employs approximately 1,700 associates at facilities in Michigan, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Indiana, Florida and Texas. Spartan reported sales of $426 million in 2011 and is focused on becoming a global leader in the design, engineering and manufacture of specialty vehicles and chassis. Visit Spartan Motors at www.spartanmotors.com

About Bruce Power

Bruce Power operates the world's largest nuclear generating facility and is the source of roughly 25 per cent of Ontario's electricity. The company's site in Tiverton, Ontario is home to eight CANDU reactors, each one capable of generating enough low-cost, reliable, safe and clean electricity to meet the annual needs of a city the size of Ottawa. Formed in 2001, Bruce Power is an all-Canadian partnership among TransCanada, Cameco, Borealis Infrastructure Management (a division of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System) as well as the Power Workers' Union and the Society of Energy Professionals. A majority of Bruce Power's employees are also owners in the business.

Photos are available at: (http://spartanerv.com/news.aspx?id=43179)  

CONTACT: Russell T. Chick
         Corporate Director of Marketing
         Spartan Motors, Inc.
         517.997.3852