Would you rather pay higher fire insurance rates on your home and get nothing or a higher Medic 1 fee for emergency medical services to hire new firefighter-paramedics? Facing that conundrum, Port Angeles City Council members Tuesday night resoundingly acceded to Fire Chief Ken Dubuc’s request for new emergency personnel, the department’s first new staff in 26 years.
- PUB DATE: 5/18/2017 11:01:48 AM - SOURCE: Port Angeles Peninsula Daily News

By Bill Adams

From a large city’s purchasing specification found online: “It is the intent of these specifications to cover the furnishing and delivery to the Purchaser of a complete new, current model year, top of the line extreme duty custom cab model, NFPA 1901 compliant walk-through Heavy Rescue fire apparatus equipped as hereinafter specified.”

The definition of and compliance to “top of the line” and “extreme duty” can be argued and debated because both terms are ambiguous and subject to individual interpretation. Likewise, requiring bidders to provide a National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)-compliant walk-through heavy rescue fire apparatus can be problematic. In this article, heavy rescue fire apparatus is synonymous with rescue truck and heavy rescue.

1 KME delivered Squad 4 to the Atlanta (GA) Fire Department. It features a two-door custom cab and traditional style hinged doors on the eight body and cab equipment compartments on this side. (Photo courtesy of KME.)

Supposedly, three bidders submitted proposals to supply the aforementioned NFPA-compliant heavy rescue - something that in writing does not exist, nor is it defined. NFPA 1901, Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus (2016 ed.), does not recognize a heavy rescue fire apparatus. Nor does it recognize a medium- or light-duty rescue apparatus. Additionally, it doesn’t have criteria for walk-in, walk-through, or walk-around rescues. But, I’m sure all the bidders checked “yes” in the “bidder complies” column.

Yes, my observations appear hypercritical; however, the scenario shows bidders are willing to propose building a rig to nonexisting criteria and will post a financial surety to guarantee doing so. That’s their decision. What should be of concern is the dangerous precedent that is being established. Bidders are proposing what they think a customer wants regardless of what the purchaser’s written specification says. That is troubling. It could undermine the intent and purpose of competitive bidding. More later.

2 Pierce delivered this two-door custom chassis rig to the Los Angeles (CA) Fire Department, lettered as “Urban Search & Rescue 88.” It features both hinged and roll-up compartment doors. (Photos 2 and 3 courtesy of Pierce Manufacturing.)

What is a Heavy Rescue?

Many heavy rescue companies morphed from open squad cars to bread-van-type delivery vehicles to pickup-sized rigs with utility bodies (e.g., Squad 51 on the television show “Emergency!”). Increasing in size, most were mounted on medium-duty commercial cabs and chassis. Today’s heavy rescues include custom chassis with tandem axles and tractor-drawn behemoths. Even big cities started small. The Fire Department of New York’s Rescue Company No. 1 went into service on March 8, 1915, with a 1914 Cadillac touring car. Boston’s Rescue No. 1 started in 1917 with

By Bill Adams

From a large city’s purchasing specification found online: “It is the intent of these specifications to cover the furnishing and delivery to the Purchaser of a complete new, current model year, top of the line extreme duty custom cab model, NFPA 1901 compliant walk-through Heavy Rescue fire apparatus equipped as hereinafter specified.”

The definition of and compliance to “top of the line” and “extreme duty” can be argued and debated because both terms are ambiguous and subject to individual interpretation. Likewise, requiring bidders to provide a National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)-compliant walk-through heavy rescue fire apparatus can be problematic. In this article, heavy rescue fire apparatus is synonymous with rescue truck and heavy rescue.

1 KME delivered Squad 4 to the Atlanta (GA) Fire Department. It features a two-door custom cab and traditional style hinged doors on the eight body and cab equipment compartments on this side. (Photo courtesy of KME.)

Supposedly, three bidders submitted proposals to supply the aforementioned NFPA-compliant heavy rescue - something that in writing does not exist, nor is it defined. NFPA 1901, Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus (2016 ed.), does not recognize a heavy rescue fire apparatus. Nor does it recognize a medium- or light-duty rescue apparatus. Additionally, it doesn’t have criteria for walk-in, walk-through, or walk-around rescues. But, I’m sure all the bidders checked “yes” in the “bidder complies” column.

Yes, my observations appear hypercritical; however, the scenario shows bidders are willing to propose building a rig to nonexisting criteria and will post a financial surety to guarantee doing so. That’s their decision. What should be of concern is the dangerous precedent that is being established. Bidders are proposing what they think a customer wants regardless of what the purchaser’s written specification says. That is troubling. It could undermine the intent and purpose of competitive bidding. More later.

2 Pierce delivered this two-door custom chassis rig to the Los Angeles (CA) Fire Department, lettered as “Urban Search & Rescue 88.” It features both hinged and roll-up compartment doors. (Photos 2 and 3 courtesy of Pierce Manufacturing.)

What is a Heavy Rescue?

Many heavy rescue companies morphed from open squad cars to bread-van-type delivery vehicles to pickup-sized rigs with utility bodies (e.g., Squad 51 on the television show “Emergency!”). Increasing in size, most were mounted on medium-duty commercial cabs and chassis. Today’s heavy rescues include custom chassis with tandem axles and tractor-drawn behemoths. Even big cities started small. The Fire Department of New York’s Rescue Company No. 1 went into service on March 8, 1915, with a 1914 Cadillac touring car. Boston’s Rescue No. 1 started in 1917 with

By Bill Adams

From a large city’s purchasing specification found online: “It is the intent of these specifications to cover the furnishing and delivery to the Purchaser of a complete new, current model year, top of the line extreme duty custom cab model, NFPA 1901 compliant walk-through Heavy Rescue fire apparatus equipped as hereinafter specified.”

The definition of and compliance to “top of the line” and “extreme duty” can be argued and debated because both terms are ambiguous and subject to individual interpretation. Likewise, requiring bidders to provide a National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)-compliant walk-through heavy rescue fire apparatus can be problematic. In this article, heavy rescue fire apparatus is synonymous with rescue truck and heavy rescue.

1 KME delivered Squad 4 to the Atlanta (GA) Fire Department. It features a two-door custom cab and traditional style hinged doors on the eight body and cab equipment compartments on this side. (Photo courtesy of KME.)

Supposedly, three bidders submitted proposals to supply the aforementioned NFPA-compliant heavy rescue - something that in writing does not exist, nor is it defined. NFPA 1901, Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus (2016 ed.), does not recognize a heavy rescue fire apparatus. Nor does it recognize a medium- or light-duty rescue apparatus. Additionally, it doesn’t have criteria for walk-in, walk-through, or walk-around rescues. But, I’m sure all the bidders checked “yes” in the “bidder complies” column.

Yes, my observations appear hypercritical; however, the scenario shows bidders are willing to propose building a rig to nonexisting criteria and will post a financial surety to guarantee doing so. That’s their decision. What should be of concern is the dangerous precedent that is being established. Bidders are proposing what they think a customer wants regardless of what the purchaser’s written specification says. That is troubling. It could undermine the intent and purpose of competitive bidding. More later.

2 Pierce delivered this two-door custom chassis rig to the Los Angeles (CA) Fire Department, lettered as “Urban Search & Rescue 88.” It features both hinged and roll-up compartment doors. (Photos 2 and 3 courtesy of Pierce Manufacturing.)

What is a Heavy Rescue?

Many heavy rescue companies morphed from open squad cars to bread-van-type delivery vehicles to pickup-sized rigs with utility bodies (e.g., Squad 51 on the television show “Emergency!”). Increasing in size, most were mounted on medium-duty commercial cabs and chassis. Today’s heavy rescues include custom chassis with tandem axles and tractor-drawn behemoths. Even big cities started small. The Fire Department of New York’s Rescue Company No. 1 went into service on March 8, 1915, with a 1914 Cadillac touring car. Boston’s Rescue No. 1 started in 1917 with

A Tacoma man and his two dogs died in a house fire early Thursday. The man, in his late 60s, has not been identified. Central Pierce firefighters were called to the home in the 12200 block of Steele Street South about 1:30 a.m. “When we arrived, there was fire through the roof and it was heavily involved,” Central Pierce Fire spokesman Guy Overby said.
- PUB DATE: 5/18/2017 10:34:56 AM - SOURCE: Tacoma News Tribune