By Alan M. Petrillo
San Marcos is a city of about 70,000 that includes Texas State University with about 37,000 students. The city is situated on the edge of Texas hill country on its west side, split from the coastal plains on the east by Interstate-35. San Marcos Fire Department has 95 paid firefighters and commissioned staff operating out of six stations with four engines and two aerial quints.
When San Marcos decided to replace one of its quints, it chose to purchase a 105-foot tractor-drawn aerial (TDA) quint from Spartan ER-LTI. “The new truck is located at Station 5,” says John Koenig, San Marcos battalion chief. “In that area the streets are narrower and the buildings are taller, so it’s easier to get around with a TDA, which affords us more opportunity to set up on corners and increase our scrub area.”
The aerial ladder on the TDA is a steel, four-section design with 105 feet of vertical reach, 100 feet of horizontal reach, a wind rating of 50 miles per hour, and an elevation range from minus-seven to plus-78 degrees.Koenig says the truck committee examined three TDA brands and had the opportunity to drive two of them, before settling on the Spartan ER-LTI rig. “We chose Spartan ER-LTI because of the vehicle’s configuration, and because of our dealer, Metro Fire Apparatus out of Houston, which has given us very good service,” Koenig points out. “We also had direct contact with our dealer, Spartan ER, and their engineer, and found them all very easy to work with. They listened well and offered solutions for us. We’re very pleased with them and the process.”
Randy Hummer, Spartan ER aerial account manager, says the San Marcos TDA quint is powered by a 565-horsepower (hp) Cummins X 15 diesel engine, and an Allison 4000 EVS automatic transmission with a retarder, and has an Advanced Occupant Protection system. The tractor’s front axle has an air ride independent front suspension with a 24,000-pound rating, the tractor’s drive axle has a Ridewell RAD 241 air ride with a 32,500-pound rating, and the tiller axle has a Ridewell air ride with a 23,000-pound rating. Tractor wheelbase is 189 inches, trailer wheelbase is 346 inches, overall length is 62 feet 3 inches, and overall height is 11 feet 9 inches.
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Posted: Apr 26, 2022
Toyne—Hartford (NY) Fire District pumper-tanker. Freightliner SD114 SBA cab and chassis; Detroit Diesel DD13 505-hp engine; Waterous CSU 1,500-gpm pump; UPF Poly 2,500-gallon water tank; Elkhart Cobra EXM monitor; FRC LED 900-Q65 scene lights; three Newton electric dump valves with chutes. Dealer: J.P.B. Fire Sales, Liverpool, NY.
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Posted: Apr 26, 2022
VIDEO/PHOTOS: An early morning fire destroyed the Ocoee Whitewater Center Tuesday.
The venue served as the host site for paddling events, such as kayaking and canoeing, during the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics. Years later, it remained a popular spot for locals and tourists with the waters of the Ocoee River surging just steps beyond the center's back doors, with sweeping views from the balcony.
- PUB DATE: 4/26/2022 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WRCB-TV NBC 3 Chattanooga
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Posted: Apr 26, 2022
VIDEO: A group from one of West Texas A&M University's mechanical engineering classes Monday unveiled a device designed and built for the Randall County Fire Department as their spring project.
Developed as a project over the 16-week class, the device is designed to make rolling up a fire hose after a fire become less time and manpower consuming.
- PUB DATE: 4/26/2022 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Amarillo-Globe News
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Posted: Apr 26, 2022
The FDNY is about to make “herstory” — and they may get a trophy out of it.
For the first time, the department is sending an all-women rescue paramedic team to test its life-saving skills against other first responders in a national competition, the FDNY said. The four life-savers fly to Indiana to compete in the 2022 Journal of Emergency Medical Services (JEMS) Conference and Expo, where they will run through three realistic, high-pressure scenarios to see if they can assess injuries and provide care quickly and accurately.
- PUB DATE: 4/26/2022 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: New York Daily News - Metered Site
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