By Alan M. Petrillo

While standardized lines of vehicles built by ambulance makers are the norm, more and more buyers are asking makers to customize rigs to meet their special requirements.

The type of customization varies with the needs of the department or agency as well as the job that will be required of the ambulance, but manufacturers say some unusual custom ambulances have been requested from the customer’s side of the transaction.

Custom Influences

Chad Newsome, national sales manager for PL Custom Body and Equipment Co. Inc., says PL Custom has made a number of “very custom” ambulances but that the company always is cognizant of customized elements that might make the rig unsafe from a design standpoint. “For example, a customer might want a number of extremely heavy components on one side of the truck, which would mean the truck is not balanced for its gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR),” Newsome points out. “Or, they might spec the vehicle where the electrical needs exceed the generating capacity of the truck itself, which would cause us to look at additional sources of power.”

Newsome adds that PL Custom continues to update its basic designs to comply with all standards coming out in the industry as well as the spirit of those safety standards, such as how to keep people seat belted and secured to minimize risk yet still able to do their job effectively and efficiently in the back of the rig. He says that some states go by the federal General Services Administration KKK-A-1822 specification for ambulances, while others adopt National Fire Protection Association 1917, Standard for Automotive Ambulances, for the regulations. Newsome says some customization changes came about, “when KKK changed its standard for securing equipment inside the box, such as portable oxygen tanks, monitors, and cot retention.”

1 PL Custom Body and Equipment Co. Inc. customized this Type 1 ambulance for Mount Weather (VA) Fire Rescue on a Dodge chassis with a door-forward design, all-aluminum interior, five custom exterior compartments, Buckstop front bumper, and custom interior design. (Photo courtesy of PL Custom Body and Equipment Co. Inc.)

A Type 1 ambulance, Newsome observes, is a cab and chassis unit with a modular container on the back, in both walk-through and nonwalk-through styles. Type 2 ambulances are narrow vans with raised roofs like the Ford Transit and the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. Type 3 rigs have a van-front RV-style cutaway chassis coupled with a box on the rear, historically walk-through but sometimes pass-through, he adds.

Chad Brown, vice president of sales and marketing for Braun Industries Inc., agrees that KKK specification change notices numbers 8 and 9 on cot retention, seat belt retention, oxygen, and fire extinguisher retention “are two of the things driving customization, along with customer needs.” Brown points out that the traditional squad bench in the patient box is disappearing and being replaced by a captain’s chair. “We’re using a captain’s chair on a 36- to 40-inch Mobility 1 track that allows the chair to slide forward and back as well as to swivel 90 degrees to face the patient,” Brown says. “The attendant stays belted in the captain’s chair t

Chris Mc Loone

It’s not often you get to see a fire truck come to a skidding stop.

Well actually, I guess if you wanted to, you could probably Google it and find any number of videos online. But in this case, these fire apparatus were intentionally skidding to a stop in an effort to emphasize the importance of understanding how long it takes a fire truck to stop and also ensuring your vehicles’ braking systems are properly adjusted.

The evolutions were staged by Chris Daly, Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment Editorial Advisory Board member, and the Chester County (PA) Serious Crash Assistance Team jointly with the West Chester (PA) Fire Department. Prior to going through the evolutions, all the participating fire apparatus were weighed according to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1911, Standard for the Inspection, Maintenance, Testing, and Retirement of In-Service Automotive Fire Apparatus, criteria and all brake systems checked. One fire apparatus had three sets of brakes out of adjustment, so it did not participate in the tests. The fire department immediately took the rig out of service to have the problems repaired.

For the rest of the day, each apparatus that passed the initial screening went through the skid testing. Each test consisted of the apparatus skidding to a stop three times at approximately 35-40 miles per hour. Each rig was fitted with an accelerometer to verify speeds and to help measure braking efficiency. As a bystander, one thing that impressed me was the lack of drama to the stops. I wasn’t there for every truck-and I had to leave before a tower ladder went through the paces-but the trucks that I saw performed well, at least in terms of not fishtailing or screeching. When I think of “skidding out,” I think of loud screeching. There was none of that. Yes, onlookers could hear the tires as they slowed, but I really got an appreciation for how modern fire apparatus are designed and the safety systems in place. The apparatus ages varied from very new to almost 20 years old, and each behaved differently. For example, there was a noticeable difference between apparatus with drum brakes and apparatus with disc brakes.

The day was educational for all involved. Firefighters certainly gained an appreciation for how long it takes an apparatus to stop in dry conditions. And, the crash reconstruction team got a good idea for how different the stopping distance is for a more-than-20-ton rig than a typical passenger vehicle. The attending firefighters also gained knowledge of how important apparatus weight and brake maintenance are. An overweight truck and improperly adjusted brakes will increase stopping distance, which can lead to apparatus accidents.

A tremendous amount of data will result from these tests-data that Daly says will help validate the formulas crash reconstruction teams use when investigating crash scenes. It will also help them to more accurately reconstruct apparatus crashes. The participating fire companies deserve to be commended for their participation.

The Serious Crash Assistance Team members on site also tested police vehicle stopping distances. The cars were Ford Crown Victorias and, as I witnessed, the stopping distance was much shorter. I know it’s easy to conceptualize the idea that it takes something heavier longer to stop, but it is a whole other thing watching it in person.

No one wants to be involved in an apparatus crash. In recent months, we’ve seen our fair sha

Chris Mc Loone

It’s not often you get to see a fire truck come to a skidding stop.

Well actually, I guess if you wanted to, you could probably Google it and find any number of videos online. But in this case, these fire apparatus were intentionally skidding to a stop in an effort to emphasize the importance of understanding how long it takes a fire truck to stop and also ensuring your vehicles’ braking systems are properly adjusted.

The evolutions were staged by Chris Daly, Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment Editorial Advisory Board member, and the Chester County (PA) Serious Crash Assistance Team jointly with the West Chester (PA) Fire Department. Prior to going through the evolutions, all the participating fire apparatus were weighed according to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1911, Standard for the Inspection, Maintenance, Testing, and Retirement of In-Service Automotive Fire Apparatus, criteria and all brake systems checked. One fire apparatus had three sets of brakes out of adjustment, so it did not participate in the tests. The fire department immediately took the rig out of service to have the problems repaired.

For the rest of the day, each apparatus that passed the initial screening went through the skid testing. Each test consisted of the apparatus skidding to a stop three times at approximately 35-40 miles per hour. Each rig was fitted with an accelerometer to verify speeds and to help measure braking efficiency. As a bystander, one thing that impressed me was the lack of drama to the stops. I wasn’t there for every truck-and I had to leave before a tower ladder went through the paces-but the trucks that I saw performed well, at least in terms of not fishtailing or screeching. When I think of “skidding out,” I think of loud screeching. There was none of that. Yes, onlookers could hear the tires as they slowed, but I really got an appreciation for how modern fire apparatus are designed and the safety systems in place. The apparatus ages varied from very new to almost 20 years old, and each behaved differently. For example, there was a noticeable difference between apparatus with drum brakes and apparatus with disc brakes.

The day was educational for all involved. Firefighters certainly gained an appreciation for how long it takes an apparatus to stop in dry conditions. And, the crash reconstruction team got a good idea for how different the stopping distance is for a more-than-20-ton rig than a typical passenger vehicle. The attending firefighters also gained knowledge of how important apparatus weight and brake maintenance are. An overweight truck and improperly adjusted brakes will increase stopping distance, which can lead to apparatus accidents.

A tremendous amount of data will result from these tests-data that Daly says will help validate the formulas crash reconstruction teams use when investigating crash scenes. It will also help them to more accurately reconstruct apparatus crashes. The participating fire companies deserve to be commended for their participation.

The Serious Crash Assistance Team members on site also tested police vehicle stopping distances. The cars were Ford Crown Victorias and, as I witnessed, the stopping distance was much shorter. I know it’s easy to conceptualize the idea that it takes something heavier longer to stop, but it is a whole other thing watching it in person.

No one wants to be involved in an apparatus crash. In recent months, we’ve seen our fair sha

Chris Mc Loone

It’s not often you get to see a fire truck come to a skidding stop.

Well actually, I guess if you wanted to, you could probably Google it and find any number of videos online. But in this case, these fire apparatus were intentionally skidding to a stop in an effort to emphasize the importance of understanding how long it takes a fire truck to stop and also ensuring your vehicles’ braking systems are properly adjusted.

The evolutions were staged by Chris Daly, Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment Editorial Advisory Board member, and the Chester County (PA) Serious Crash Assistance Team jointly with the West Chester (PA) Fire Department. Prior to going through the evolutions, all the participating fire apparatus were weighed according to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1911, Standard for the Inspection, Maintenance, Testing, and Retirement of In-Service Automotive Fire Apparatus, criteria and all brake systems checked. One fire apparatus had three sets of brakes out of adjustment, so it did not participate in the tests. The fire department immediately took the rig out of service to have the problems repaired.

For the rest of the day, each apparatus that passed the initial screening went through the skid testing. Each test consisted of the apparatus skidding to a stop three times at approximately 35-40 miles per hour. Each rig was fitted with an accelerometer to verify speeds and to help measure braking efficiency. As a bystander, one thing that impressed me was the lack of drama to the stops. I wasn’t there for every truck-and I had to leave before a tower ladder went through the paces-but the trucks that I saw performed well, at least in terms of not fishtailing or screeching. When I think of “skidding out,” I think of loud screeching. There was none of that. Yes, onlookers could hear the tires as they slowed, but I really got an appreciation for how modern fire apparatus are designed and the safety systems in place. The apparatus ages varied from very new to almost 20 years old, and each behaved differently. For example, there was a noticeable difference between apparatus with drum brakes and apparatus with disc brakes.

The day was educational for all involved. Firefighters certainly gained an appreciation for how long it takes an apparatus to stop in dry conditions. And, the crash reconstruction team got a good idea for how different the stopping distance is for a more-than-20-ton rig than a typical passenger vehicle. The attending firefighters also gained knowledge of how important apparatus weight and brake maintenance are. An overweight truck and improperly adjusted brakes will increase stopping distance, which can lead to apparatus accidents.

A tremendous amount of data will result from these tests-data that Daly says will help validate the formulas crash reconstruction teams use when investigating crash scenes. It will also help them to more accurately reconstruct apparatus crashes. The participating fire companies deserve to be commended for their participation.

The Serious Crash Assistance Team members on site also tested police vehicle stopping distances. The cars were Ford Crown Victorias and, as I witnessed, the stopping distance was much shorter. I know it’s easy to conceptualize the idea that it takes something heavier longer to stop, but it is a whole other thing watching it in person.

No one wants to be involved in an apparatus crash. In recent months, we’ve seen our fair sha

Apparatus Purchasing: Sell Three, Keep One, and Buy One

By Bill Adams

Many fire service publications expound on reducing career staffing in cash-strapped municipal fire departments and the declining number of volunteer firefighters in the suburbs. One result of the declining number of firefighters is the increased use of multipurpose apparatus. The days of traditional engine and ladder companies and single-function support apparatus such as hose wagons, tankers (water tenders), heavy rescues, and squad trucks may be numbered. Reviews of recent deliveries of multipurpose rigs show that most pundits praise the work of the apparatus purchasing committees (APCs), expound on the expertise of the manufacturers, give basic descriptions of the apparatus, and state how everyone is ecstatic with the new delivery.

1 The Village of Manchester (NY) Fire Department’s four primary front-line rigs include a used heavy rescue, a used rear-mount aerial ladder, a pumper, and a pumper-tanker. A new quint and the pumper-tanker will soon be its only two primary pieces. An existing four-door brush truck and a four-door utility vehicle will move up to the front row. (Photos by author unless otherwise noted.)

The decision making process in determining why a department specifies a particular type of rig is seldom discussed in detail. What is the reasoning? What’s being gained? More importantly, what’s being lost? That information might be more beneficial to APCs than describing a new rig’s color scheme; the number of sirens mounted on the front bumper; and how the apparatus is better than apple pie, sunshine, and fresh air.

A local fire chief said he was selling three rigs, keeping one, and purchasing one new one. I kiddingly called it the 3-1-1 concept. I’m not a proponent of multipurpose apparatus, so learning that this chief was substantially downsizing his fleet and purchasing a single multipurpose rig was the impetus for this article. I challenged his decision making process while expressing my own traditionalist views. He granted an interview. His candid responses are educational.

Manchester (NY) Fire Department

The Village of Manchester (NY) Fire Department (MFD), located in Ontario County in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, was established in 1912. It covers 25 square miles including the one-square-mile village where more than half of the 3,000 residents reside. It has an Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating of 5-both inside and outside the village. Last year, the department responded to 217 alarms, up from 150 10 years ago. Except for an occasional call to assist an outside ambulance service with a forced entry to a structure, a lift assist, or setting up a landing zone for a helicopter transport, it does not provide emergency medical services (EMS). It does not carry EMS equipment on the apparatus except for what is National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) mandated.

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