By Randy Lloyd

In Harris County, TX-the third most populated county in the United States-first responders have adopted a next-generation preemption system that has significantly improved their response times and safety and reduced their risk of collisions when responding to 911 emergencies.

Regardless of speed, emergency vehicle drivers, including emergency command vehicles that must respond quickly, have influence over the circumstances that so often endanger motorists who don't hear or see them coming into an intersection. Overly congested intersections, red lights in direction of travel, and oblivious drivers are just a few of the underlying problems that Harris County first responders have seen solved since incorporating their preemption system.

The company that developed the preemption solution is EViEWS Safety Systems, Inc. (EViEWS), a provider of traffic technology for the rapidly evolving world of intelligent transportation systems (ITS). The operating specifications for this preemption program for Harris County were designed by a team comprising a coalition of first responder leaders of Harris County communities and traffic engineers from Houston TranStar, a coalition of federal, state, and local authorities with responsibility for advancing intelligent traffic systems.

As first responders know, 60 seconds can make a difference between a successful emergency rescue and a deadly flashover. Having an engine company housed geographically within the standard eight-minute response zone, only to have to negotiate 15 minutes worth of traffic challenges, makes this goal rather ineffective. The first responder leaders of Harris County set out to counter these challenges with a goal of creating traffic corridors for seamless and faster safe passage for their emergency crews.

On one roadway, centerline medians were installed that exacerbated the problem, especially during peak times. EViEWS understands traffic and emergency vehicle flow and adjusts automatically to improve response times and lowers risk to all.

Chief Fred Windisch, of the Ponderosa (TX) Fire Department, states, "Our major east/west corridor is FM 1960 West/Cypress Creek Parkway. Our entrance onto FM 1960 is at Rolling Creek Drive, and after two years, the traffic count at that intersection was determined to be 65,000 vehicles per day. Remember, that is a 24-hour time period, and common sense tells us peak times are not 2 a.m. We need immediate access to enter the corridor and then to traverse east or west. EViEWS makes that happen by predicting our direction of travel and adjusting green times to allow the corridor to move more effectively. It is amazing to see positive results under real-time conditions on a consistent basis."

Harris County System Overview

There are more than 22 fire districts, 54 fire departments, and a dozen EMS agencies in Harris County's 1,800 square miles. Within these 1,800 square miles are more than 900 intersections. Currently, the EViEWS system is installed in more than 200 intersections, and the remaining intersections will be completed as the other fire districts obtain the necessary funding. In addition, there are also more than 75 emergency vehicles (EVs) currently equipped with the EViEWS system's advanced transponders, with that number increasing as more vehicles and fire districts come online.

Once completed the EViEWS Safety system offers an 1,800-square-mile communications network with all 900 intersections and hundreds of networked emergency vehicles providing real-time preemption, real-time network monitoring, and extensive communication data management.

The EViEWS system is a fully integrated, scalable, and highly effective technology platform. The EViEWS systems are designed to combine a modular suite of solutions to enable a number of essential functions for government including EV preemption/prioritization, tran

By Alan M. Petrillo

With the economy continuing to pinch municipal budgets, some fire departments are looking to purchase smaller, more agile pumpers to use as first-response units. It appears that mini pumpers and quick-attack pumpers aren't dead but only have been hibernating.

Yet, smaller pumpers aren't necessarily the best option for every department, as many fire districts are choosing to buy midsize custom pumpers with shorter wheelbases. Geography, district size, types of structures protected, and accessibility to structures all play a role in a department's choice of what to buy for a first-due pumper.

Industry Indicators

"There's a trend toward consolidation and smaller apparatus," says Chad Trinkner, Pierce Manufacturing's director of product management for aerials, pumpers, and fire suppression. "The problem is they're trying to stuff 10 pounds of equipment into a five-pound bag, so how they configure the apparatus is very important. The apparatus market is being challenged by end users to keep the same footprint but expand the mission of the vehicle."

Trinkner notes that Pierce builds a lot of pumpers on 170- and 180-inch wheelbases, but some of its custom pumpers will have a wheelbase as low as 160 to 165 inches. "We're getting more requests for shorter wheelbase and shorter overall length pumpers, which is a reflection on the changing areas being protected," he says. "Departments are encountering more roundabouts and tighter roadways in suburbia, and some departments still have traditional stations that can't fit the longer apparatus in them."

Trinkner sees fire pump packaging as one of the biggest drivers of shortening the length and wheelbases on pumpers. "Hale started it with its QMax-XS where it downsized and packaged its most popular pump into a 34-inch pump house," he says. "Smaller pump houses will help make vehicles shorter, which helps with the overall cost of ownership as well as making a much more maneuverable vehicle."

KME is building 175-inch wheelbase custom pumpers for the Boston (MA) Fire Department where rigs carry 2,000-gpm pumps and 500 gallons of water and have low hosebeds on four-door cabs and chassis. (Photo courtesy of KME.)

Joel Konecky, regional sales director for Smeal Fire Apparatus, says many of his company's customers are seeking shorter wheelbases and overall lengths of less than 30 feet but still keeping all the capabilities of a typical Class A pumper. "They want a minimum of 500 gallons of water, a typical hose load of 1,000 feet of five-inch large-diameter hose and 600 feet of 2½-inch hose, the ability to handle EMS, and a minimum of a 1,250-gpm pump and a maximum of 2,250-gpm," Konecky says.

Fire departments in parts of the country that have urban interface areas or those with urban settings and multistory housing are looking for more maneuverable and lighter weight pumpers, Konecky maintains. "They want a vehicle that can get into areas that require tight turns," he says. "We build those kinds of pumpers on both custom and commercial chassis but can get a much tighter package on a custom chassis because of the cab-over style of design as well as a better weight distribution for a tighter turning radius."

Geographic Features

Todd Nix, apparatus consultant for Unruh Fire, says his company has gotten a great deal of feedback

By Richard Marinucci

The most basic fire engine function is delivering water. As the fire service has expanded its role and discovered better ways to deliver service, the fire engine, or pumper as it is called in some parts, does more than take water from a source and deliver it to the fire.

Engines carry special rescue equipment, ground ladders, and forcible entry tools that provide some rudimentary truck company functions and other items that support overall fire department operations such as generators and lights.

Since the fire engine basics are essentially the same, it begs the question-why are there so many different looks to these pieces? Obviously manufacturers have their own "architectures" and designs that help identify their products. Chassis manufacturers, whether commercial or custom, also contribute to styling differences-either because of the basics of the chassis or the chassis' impact on fire truck manufacturers' ability to design the final apparatus.

Appearance

Obviously the most important things for a fire engine are to be able to provide the core services along with any other ancillary requirements. Overwhelmingly they do, and fire departments get the service they desire and the engine remains a workhorse. Yet many departments also consider the look of their apparatus as important. The appearance of the fire engine has some intangible benefits to a fire department. If this were not the case, manufacturers could stamp out clones and push out more vehicles.

The look of fire apparatus is as much about personal taste as anything else. Everyone has an opinion of what the truck should look like and their own preferences. This is not unusual. Automobiles are different looking, and buyers often consider styling as much as or more than functionality. The selection of fire trucks is not much different, although there isn't as much variety or as many options. There are only so many ways you can design an engine.

Paint Scheme

One of the most interesting discussions regarding fire trucks is about color and color scheme. Since the beginning of the fire service in this country, red has always been identified as the color of a fire truck. Almost all children's books confirm this! But approximately 30 to 40 years ago, lime green was introduced in the interest of safety. The color was promoted as easier to see and helpful in preventing crashes. This pitted traditionalists against those who considered themselves more progressive. Lately this debate has not been as high-profile as it was, although there are still occasions where the debate continues.

Regardless, it opened up more discussion regarding the color of fire apparatus. Today you can see many different colors of fire trucks, some very nontraditional. They can be black, blue, orange, green, yellow, or some other variation. Some informal conversations I have had with some department personnel revealed that the reasons vary from a departmental tradition, to a desire to be unique, to a fire chief's preference. There are probably more reasons. Some have said that they want to copy another department that they admire.

Besides the color itself, there are color combination choices-white over red, black over red, and so on-and reflective material that offer a lot of options. Even on the back of the vehicle, where National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards require reflective material, departments adjust the design to their tastes while complying with the standard. Other markings promote branding and style. There are many ways to affix reflective tape, and departments are taking the opportunity to show off their creativity and individuality. Some select a more modern design while others retain some sense of tradition. Either way makes no difference and allows for creative expression.

Components

Although many truck components