Alan M. Petrillo
The Hummelstown (PA) Chemical Fire Co. No. 1 needed to replace an aging pumper but wanted to do so by building a combination vehicle-one that could serve as a first-line pumper as well as a rescue truck. The department found what it needed with Alexis.
"We're an all-volunteer department and sometimes have scarce staffing during the day," says Charlie Cogan, Hummelstown chief. "We had a pumper that needed to be replaced, and our rescue truck runs a lot because it handles a lot of mutual aid. So, we decided to spec a vehicle that can handle almost anything with a crew of five-whether it be fire suppression or a rescue."
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The Hummelstown (PA) Chemical Fire Co. No. 1 chose Alexis to
build a rescue-pumper that would replace an older pumper and
worn-out rescue in the department's fleet. (Photos courtesy of
Alexis.) |
Cogan says the department put together a committee composed of line officers and the fire company president and treasurer. "We determined what we wanted on the vehicle and started out with a $1 million truck. [We] tweaked it back to what our budget would stand," Cogan notes. "Once we got a good idea of what we wanted in the vehicle, we sent our specs out to a list of different manufacturers to see what they could do for us."
Ultimately, five companies placed bids for the Hummelstown vehicle. "We wanted a pumper first and a rescue second, along with a Class A foam system and a light tower," Cogan points out. "This is our first vehicle with a light tower, and we wanted a big enough generator to handle that light tower as well as all the other power requirements on the vehicle. Alexis is the one we chose to build the truck."
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The rescue-pumper carries a Hale QMAX 150 1,500-gpm pump
with a left-side pump panel, a 750-gallon water tank, and an
integral 30-gallon foam tank.
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Filling Multiple Roles
Rick Debroisse, owner of I.M. Apparatus, the Alexis dealer for Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey, acknowledges that Hummelstown wanted to design a multifunctional piece of apparatus. "They wanted a front-line pumper merged with a rescue because this apparatus would be their first-due piece in their own district as well as for mutual aid," Debroisse says. "They wanted all the multifunctional capabilities we could offer, including space for all the equipment that goes along with it."
Dirk Jordan, lead sales engineer for Alexis, says the rescue-pumper design Alexis came up with for Hummelstown "allows a combination of the best of both worlds. They wanted a low hosebed, lots of compartment space, and upper storage compartments on the roof." He adds, "When you go for a low hosebed and a big water load, it's a challenge to put in deep compartments because there is only so much space available, but we were able to do it. In addition, Hummelstown wanted a short turning radius on the vehicle, which we also were able to give them."