BY BILL ADAMS

Asking about preference for an aerial ladder or an aerial platform is a loaded question. There are too many unknowns to formulate an appropriate answer. One could say it depends on the weather and terrain, which is a military axiom—a catch-all phrase sometimes used to justify a decision. Preference should only be contingent on determining the environment where the device will be used, defining the specific and secondary tasks to be accomplished, evaluating where it will be housed, acknowledging the staffing available to operate it, and understanding the financial constraints when purchasing one. My analysis is limited to rear-mount appliances, showing no partiality for steel vs. aluminum construction or for cost. Nor will I espouse whether the device should be equipped with a pump.

Elevated Master Stream

I am not in favor of firefighters being “on top” of any aerial device directing a stream; however, if the intended use is primarily or regularly as an elevated master stream, I prefer the platform. It is safer. My first choice would be to invest in a drone to observe an elevated stream’s direction and effectiveness. It is inexpensive, and it keeps firefighters out of harm’s way.

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1901, Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus, Chapter 19: Aerial Devices, sentence 19.2.9.1 says two folding steps shall be provided for an aerial ladder pipe-monitor operator, each with a minimum of 35 square inches. Or, per sentence 19.2.9.2, a single step with a minimum of 200 square inches can be provided. An elevating platform must have a minimum standing area of 14 square feet (more than 2,000 square inches) per sentence 19.7.6.1. Which would you rather stand on for an hour? Having prepiped breathing air is another advantage of a platform.

When an aerial ladder is equipped with a prepiped monitor, Section 19.6 says it must have a minimum 1,000-gallon-per-minute (gpm) capacity. Section 19.11 says platforms of 110 feet or less in rated height shall be equipped with a water delivery system with one or more monitors capable of flowing 1,000 gpm.

NFPA 1901 criteria are minimum requirements. Aerial device manufacturers may exceed the NFPA flow requirements, and many do. In many instances, especially with aerial ladders, high flow rates may affect a device’s rated weight capacity and possibly minimize the allowable operating envelope when flowing water. Read the fine print when specifying one. Purchasers should consider determining a desired flow rate before evaluating devices on the market.

Equipment Hauler

It is easier and safer to transport saws and multiple hand tools in a platform than it is to manually carry them up an aerial. Depending on the amount of equipment to bring to the roof of, say, a seven-story building, firefighters may have to make multiple trips up and down the stick. Safety oriented old-timers believe in “one hand for me and one hand for thee.” The steeper the angle of the aerial, the harder it is to climb—with one hand. Aerials have limited room to mount tools on the fly section. Platforms, by nature of their design, have more room.

Threading the Needle

Ladder company (aka truck company) operators in older urban areas with multip