By Chris Daly

Last month’s article addressed the issue of fire apparatus braking efficiency. Braking efficiency is the amount of available roadway friction a vehicle can put to use to skid to a stop. A vehicle with reduced braking efficiency will have a longer stopping distance.

In September 2016, a large-scale training exercise was conducted to evaluate the braking efficiency of fire apparatus. The results of this testing confirmed that fire apparatus have a reduced braking efficiency when compared to a passenger car. While most hydraulic-braked passenger vehicles have near 100 percent braking efficiency, the braking efficiency of a large fire apparatus averaged around 68 percent.

One of the interesting side effects of this testing exercise was a realization that many fire apparatus have improperly adjusted brakes. Of the 10 fire apparatus that arrived to participate, two were put out of service by law enforcement truck inspectors because of bad brakes. If a vehicle does not have properly adjusted air brakes, it will not be able to generate an effective braking force. As a result, the vehicle’s stopping distance could increase dramatically.

A comparison of stopping distances on a dry road based on skid tests conducted in September 2016. At each speed, the top vehicle represents the stopping distance of a passenger car. The middle vehicle represents the stopping distance of a fire apparatus with properly adjusted brakes. The bottom vehicle represents the stopping distance of a fire apparatus with brakes out of adjustment.

These facts were made evident during the skid tests. Of the two apparatus that were found to have brakes out of adjustment, one also had a leaking airline. This truck was immediately placed out of service and was not available for testing. However, we were able to skid the other apparatus before and after the brakes were adjusted. This provided an invaluable opportunity to examine the difference in stopping distance between properly adjusted brakes and those out of adjustment. Needless to say, the results were startling.

On average, a fire apparatus with properly adjusted brakes had a 45 percent increase in stopping distance when compared to a passenger car. However, the apparatus with brakes out of adjustment had a 95 percent increase in stopping distance compared with a passenger car. The stopping distance of the fire apparatus with brakes out of adjustment was nearly twice that of a passenger vehicle. It is difficult enough to bring a moving fire apparatus to a safe stop. If brakes out of adjustment are added to the equation, they will significantly compound the problem.

How Air Brake Systems Work

To understand the importance of brake adjustment, it is important to discuss how an air brake system works. In summary:

1. To apply the brakes, the driver presses down on the “foot valve,” otherwise known as the “brake pedal.”
2. Air travels from the air tank reservoir through the air lines and into a brake chamber.
3. Inside the brake chamber, the compressed air presses against a rub

By Alan M. Petrillo

With fire departments trying to cram as much equipment on their pumpers as possible, manufacturers have responded by shrinking pump panels and relocating pumps and discharges on fire apparatus to give firefighters the room they want and need on their vehicles.

A large part of the efforts by apparatus and pump manufacturers has been to shrink pump panels and their associated equipment to free up space for other uses.

Saving and Creating Space

1 This Spotsylvania (VA) Fire Department PUC pumper made by Pierce Manufacturing features a pump panel on the driver’s side that is slim and has clear compartmentation on the officer’s side. (Photo courtesy of Pierce Manufacturing.)

John Schultz, director of pumper and custom chassis products for Pierce Manufacturing Inc., says Pierce’s PUC product line has continued in popularity, likely because of the slim size of the pump house and panel area. “The pump is located between the frame rails, which allows crosslays to come down from their historically high location on top of the pump house,” Schultz says. “The 31-inch-wide PUC pump panel is on the driver’s side only, allowing additional compartmentation on the officer’s side and saving wheelbase on the vehicle. Because of this, we are able to replace the officer’s side panel with a full-height-and-depth compartment.”

On the traditional custom pumpers that Pierce builds, Schultz notes that Pierce is achieving pump panel savings by using end suction pumps over traditional full body midship pumps. “The intake and discharge manifolding is typically cast by the OEM body building, which allows for a unique configuration of intake manifolding,” Schultz says. “The reconfiguration saves space by being more compact, as is shown in our FXP entry-level commercial pumper with a 45-inch-wide pump panel.”

Some departments are opting for smaller hydraulically-driven pumps packed in or underneath a transverse compartment or the pump compartment, Schultz says. “Typically we see them on aerials where the pump would be 250 to 300 gallons per minute (gpm) and might feed a front bumper crosslay or other discharges,” he adds. “The small pump panel controls would be under the transverse compartment, tucked away. The San Diego (CA) Fire Department has used that type of pump with a 10-inch-wide pump panel and electric valve controllers and gauges for quite a while now.”

2 E-ONE offers its eMAX pump panel on both side-mount and top-mount (shown) pumpers, aerials, and tankers. The top-mount version gains two large compartments on each side and a very narrow pump module. (Photo courtesy of E-ONE.)

Grady North, product manager for E-ONE, says his company’s eMAX pumper has become a very popular option among fire departments, so much so that E-ONE expanded the product to include aerials and tankers

By Alan M. Petrillo

With fire departments trying to cram as much equipment on their pumpers as possible, manufacturers have responded by shrinking pump panels and relocating pumps and discharges on fire apparatus to give firefighters the room they want and need on their vehicles.

A large part of the efforts by apparatus and pump manufacturers has been to shrink pump panels and their associated equipment to free up space for other uses.

Saving and Creating Space

1 This Spotsylvania (VA) Fire Department PUC pumper made by Pierce Manufacturing features a pump panel on the driver’s side that is slim and has clear compartmentation on the officer’s side. (Photo courtesy of Pierce Manufacturing.)

John Schultz, director of pumper and custom chassis products for Pierce Manufacturing Inc., says Pierce’s PUC product line has continued in popularity, likely because of the slim size of the pump house and panel area. “The pump is located between the frame rails, which allows crosslays to come down from their historically high location on top of the pump house,” Schultz says. “The 31-inch-wide PUC pump panel is on the driver’s side only, allowing additional compartmentation on the officer’s side and saving wheelbase on the vehicle. Because of this, we are able to replace the officer’s side panel with a full-height-and-depth compartment.”

On the traditional custom pumpers that Pierce builds, Schultz notes that Pierce is achieving pump panel savings by using end suction pumps over traditional full body midship pumps. “The intake and discharge manifolding is typically cast by the OEM body building, which allows for a unique configuration of intake manifolding,” Schultz says. “The reconfiguration saves space by being more compact, as is shown in our FXP entry-level commercial pumper with a 45-inch-wide pump panel.”

Some departments are opting for smaller hydraulically-driven pumps packed in or underneath a transverse compartment or the pump compartment, Schultz says. “Typically we see them on aerials where the pump would be 250 to 300 gallons per minute (gpm) and might feed a front bumper crosslay or other discharges,” he adds. “The small pump panel controls would be under the transverse compartment, tucked away. The San Diego (CA) Fire Department has used that type of pump with a 10-inch-wide pump panel and electric valve controllers and gauges for quite a while now.”

2 E-ONE offers its eMAX pump panel on both side-mount and top-mount (shown) pumpers, aerials, and tankers. The top-mount version gains two large compartments on each side and a very narrow pump module. (Photo courtesy of E-ONE.)

Grady North, product manager for E-ONE, says his company’s eMAX pumper has become a very popular option among fire departments, so much so that E-ONE expanded the product to include aerials and tankers

By Alan M. Petrillo

With fire departments trying to cram as much equipment on their pumpers as possible, manufacturers have responded by shrinking pump panels and relocating pumps and discharges on fire apparatus to give firefighters the room they want and need on their vehicles.

A large part of the efforts by apparatus and pump manufacturers has been to shrink pump panels and their associated equipment to free up space for other uses.

Saving and Creating Space

1 This Spotsylvania (VA) Fire Department PUC pumper made by Pierce Manufacturing features a pump panel on the driver’s side that is slim and has clear compartmentation on the officer’s side. (Photo courtesy of Pierce Manufacturing.)

John Schultz, director of pumper and custom chassis products for Pierce Manufacturing Inc., says Pierce’s PUC product line has continued in popularity, likely because of the slim size of the pump house and panel area. “The pump is located between the frame rails, which allows crosslays to come down from their historically high location on top of the pump house,” Schultz says. “The 31-inch-wide PUC pump panel is on the driver’s side only, allowing additional compartmentation on the officer’s side and saving wheelbase on the vehicle. Because of this, we are able to replace the officer’s side panel with a full-height-and-depth compartment.”

On the traditional custom pumpers that Pierce builds, Schultz notes that Pierce is achieving pump panel savings by using end suction pumps over traditional full body midship pumps. “The intake and discharge manifolding is typically cast by the OEM body building, which allows for a unique configuration of intake manifolding,” Schultz says. “The reconfiguration saves space by being more compact, as is shown in our FXP entry-level commercial pumper with a 45-inch-wide pump panel.”

Some departments are opting for smaller hydraulically-driven pumps packed in or underneath a transverse compartment or the pump compartment, Schultz says. “Typically we see them on aerials where the pump would be 250 to 300 gallons per minute (gpm) and might feed a front bumper crosslay or other discharges,” he adds. “The small pump panel controls would be under the transverse compartment, tucked away. The San Diego (CA) Fire Department has used that type of pump with a 10-inch-wide pump panel and electric valve controllers and gauges for quite a while now.”

2 E-ONE offers its eMAX pump panel on both side-mount and top-mount (shown) pumpers, aerials, and tankers. The top-mount version gains two large compartments on each side and a very narrow pump module. (Photo courtesy of E-ONE.)

Grady North, product manager for E-ONE, says his company’s eMAX pumper has become a very popular option among fire departments, so much so that E-ONE expanded the product to include aerials and tankers

Richard Marinucci

Incidents involving hazardous materials are handled much differently than the majority of calls to which fire departments respond.

To most firefighters, the response to incidents involving hazardous materials is very slow and methodical - not what many firefighters expected when they signed on for the job. But, experience and regulations have shown that this approach is best. Reprogramming personnel to respond in this manner is necessary and important so that the incident is handled properly. There is a great deal of training, education, practice, and discipline necessary for the entire department. The infrequency of these events makes this more challenging, so an organization’s leadership must constantly make everyone aware of the methods necessary to be successful.

Hazmat Philosophy

In recent years, the fire service has approached risk management during incidents by adopting a philosophy to risk a lot to save a lot, risk a little to save a little, and risk nothing so save nothing. There may be some variation on the wording, but the thought is that firefighters should not be endangered for anything that is worthless. For the big risks, firefighters generally act on their previous experiences, using recognition and prime decision making, and take little time to ponder the situation. In contrast to this, responders to known hazmat events will slow down and gather as much information as possible before deciding to act. This will include research, planning, and safety considerations. The dangers present at fires and hazmat incidents are real, but firefighters will take more risks at a fire. This could be a result of less experience and more preparation regarding the proper way to handle the event. It could also be because of strict regulations that specify certain actions and approaches for this work.

For most firefighters, there is not much history regarding hazmat incident response. They have not had any time to build up any recognition prime decision making through response or from vicarious learning through those who have preceded them. This contrasts fire response where “probies” can learn from their elders, though this can be good or bad depending on the experiences of the senior person. Since hazmat responses are infrequent, there is not much first-hand knowledge or skill to pass on. To add to the challenges, modern hazmat response is in its relative infancy. The service continues to evolve based on lessons learned and improved science.

Preparation

So, the challenge to fire departments is to be prepared for incidents that are very infrequent but have significant consequences if not handled properly. This preparation must also include a “reprogramming” of firefighters from their “all ahead full” approach to their regular and routine calls. For whatever reason, many firefighters have no interest in hazmat responses, as they would prefer to hand them over to specialists. They have no desire to delve too deeply into the area and are not generally motivated to learn more than the bare minimum. They also are challenged to maintain their skills in many other areas, so time can be a factor. If something is to fall off the training agenda, it is likely to be items of minimal interest.

In basic recruit school, firefighters are given some of the basics of hazmat responses. For example, those in training for Firefighter I and II are also given hazmat awareness and operations classes (at least in Michigan). Regulations require continuing education in some of the basics to maintain k