APPARATUS: THE SHOPS Michael Huber

The cost of fire apparatus represents a substantial challenge for both career and volunteer fire departments. Effectively addressing these challenges necessitates strategic planning, the pursuit of diverse funding sources, and exploring cost-saving measures such as shared purchasing agreements (HGAC, NOVA, Sourcewell) or acquiring used equipment.

Given the increasing costs associated with fire apparatus, it is crucial to prioritize maintaining existing equipment to extend its operational lifespan and ensure continued readiness.

Selecting a fire apparatus dealer as a repair facility or a technician is a crucial decision, as it impacts the quality, reliability, and support of your emergency response equipment. Here are some key factors to consider:

1. Research and recommendations: Start by asking for recommendations from friends or colleagues who have experience with apparatus technicians. Check with surrounding departments.
2. Customer service: Evaluate a facility’s responsiveness to your inquiries and its willingness to provide detailed information. Ascertain through references how it handles post repair support.
3. Check certifications: Look for technicians who are certified by reputable organizations, such as the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) or Emergency Vehicle Technician (EVT) Certification Commission. This ensures they have the necessary skills and knowledge.
4. Experience with your apparatus: Ensure the technician has experience with the specific make and model of your apparatus. All apparatus have unique systems and parts, so experience with your make of vehicle is important.
5. Visit the shop: Visit the repair facility to assess its cleanliness, organization, and equipment. A well-maintained shop often reflects the quality of work.
6. Geographic location: Consider the dealer’s location relative to your department. A local facility may offer quicker service and support.
7. Ask questions: Inquire about the technicians’ experience, specialties, and the types of repairs they handle. Discuss any specific issues your apparatus has, to see how they approach diagnosis and repair.

8. Check warranties: Ask about warranties on parts and labor. A good dealer and mechanic should stand by their work and offer some form of warranty.
9. Communication: Choose a dealer or technician who communicates clearly and keeps you informed about the status of repairs. Good communication helps build trust and ensures you’re aware of what’s being done to your apparatus.
10. Trust your instincts: If you’re uncomfortable or feel pressured, it’s okay to seek out another dealership or technician.
11. Trial run: If possible, start with a smaller job or maintenance task to test the technicians’ service quality before entrusting them with more significant repairs.
12. Discuss emergency repairs: Since fire apparatus are critical in emergencies, ask about a shop’s/ technician’s ability to handle urgent repairs and turnaround times for critical issues. Check if the dealer/ technician offers 24/7 support or emergency assistance.
13. Long-term relationship: Think about th

Brandon Clark
Daily Gazette, Sterling, Ill.
(TNS)

Oct. 17—STERLING — After a sobering report on the condition of the Sterling Fire Department’s apparatus, many have asked: “How did we get here?”

How did the department end up with an aerial truck that has been out of commission the past 10 months? Why are there two fire engines that are in need of so many repairs, leaving the fire department with one reliable fire engine? What is the plan to shore up the fleet?

• Sterling (IL) FD Apparatus Report Leaves City Council ‘Shocked’ and ‘Horrified’

To answer those questions, we need to go back a few years.

The fire department’s situation appears to mirror a nationwide problem that comes down to changes in the Environmental Protection Agency requirements and COVID-19-related kinks in the supply chain.

“This is an issue affecting fire departments across the country,” said Kerry Federer, secretary-treasurer of the Illinois Firefighters Association. “Part of the problem is the change in the EPA requirements caused problems with getting a chassis. If you can’t get a chassis, you can’t build a fire truck. I think that’s also where some of the backlogs first started out.”

On Aug. 5, 2021, the EPA launched a three-year plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants from heavy-duty trucks through a progressive series of rules. The Clean Trucks Plan was completed in March, with the signing of the final two rules focusing on greenhouse gases for heavy-duty engines and emissions standards for light- and medium-duty vehicles.

Sterling Fire Chief Forrest Reeder said supply chain issues during the COVID-19 pandemic also contributed to a backlog of apparatus orders that have increased wait times for these vehicles.

“I’ve been around a while now, and when I first started the business, you could get an engine in under a year,” Reeder said. “Now, it’s two years for an engine and up to three years for a truck with an aerial ladder.”

Reeder said his October presentation to the Sterling City Council detailing the fleet’s needs was meant as a budgeting tool to assist the city.

“The council, the mayor and the city manager have been tremendously responsive to the fire department’s needs,” Reeder said. “Because there is the potential for some pretty large capital expenditures down the road, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, [but] certainly in the near future, we wanted to prepare them as they start thinking about next year’s budget.”

According to Reeder’s presentation during the City Council meeting, this is how the fire department’s transportation roster shakes out:

Truck/Tower 4

The department’s only truck with an aerial ladder was purchased in May 2021 for $319,000. Its first significant repair occurred a little over a year later, in August 2022, at a cost of $9,200, with other substantial repairs following only a year later. The truck has cost the department more than $200,000 in repairs since its purchase.

‘The Twins’

These two fire engines were aptly nicknamed by SFD for sharing many of the same repair issues.

Engine 3 was purchased in December 2021 for $150,000. Its first major repair followed almost a year later with a repair bill of almost $28,000. Since its purchase, it has cost the department more than $75,000 in repairs.

Engine 5 was purchased just a few weeks later, in January 2022

Karen Kucher
The San Diego Union-Tribune
(TNS)

A Torrey Pines fire station — first envisioned more than a decade ago by city and university leaders — was officially opened on Thursday and will be home to the city’s first electric fire engine.

Located near the corner of North Torrey Pines Road and Genesee Avenue, Fire Station 52 sits on property formerly used for tennis courts on the northwest edge of the UC San Diego campus.

The university was instrumental in the effort, giving land for the project and contributing $20.5 million, which Chancellor Pradeep Khosla called “an amazing collaboration.”

“When I first got here, this was on the docket,” said Khosla, who became chancellor in 2012. “It took a little while to figure out how would the UC bureaucracy work and how would we be able to carve out a piece of our property and give it to the city.”

Khosla said the result was “an amazing fire station” that will help improve response times on fire and medical calls at UC San Diego and to the surrounding Torrey Pines community.

Fire Chief Robert Logan said the station was first discussed back in 2010 by former Councilmember Sherri Lightner, then-Fire Chief Javier Mainar and former Chancellor Marye Anne Fox.

The state-of-the-art station is a rectangular 14,600-square-foot building with a black, red and white color scheme. It has three apparatus bays, an office, workout room and equipment locker room on the first floor, with a kitchen, sleeping quarters, a room equipped with a big-screen TV and a line of comfortable-looking chairs on the second floor.

It also is home to the city’s first electric fire engine, manufactured by Pierce Volterra and delivered just a day before the ribbon cutting. The engine cost $2.1 million and the city spent an additional $600,000 for a charging station and related infrastructure at the new fire station, Assistant Chief James Gaboury said.

The station “went live” last Tuesday with crews running calls for the past week and a half. But it will take several weeks for the new electric engine to be ready. For now, a reserve diesel engine is assigned to the station.

“We still have to do all the outfitting on it,” Gaboury said. “The equipment mounts need to be put on it” and staff will need to be trained on how to plug it in.

From the outside, the shiny red engine looks exactly like the rest of the department’s fleet. “The idea is to make sure all the pieces of equipment are the same,” Gaboury said. “All the hose, all the knobs, all the levers — everything else is exactly the same as the other 85 fire engines that we have.”

The only exception is an 18-inch box in the middle of the apparatus where the EV batteries are stored. It does sound different, though: Like all EVs, it is extremely quiet when driven.

Gaboury said the engine is equipped with a diesel engine, which will automatically kick on when the battery runs out, either when it is being driven or pumping water.

He said it isn’t really a hybrid, it just has a backup engine. “It is a seamless transition,” he said. “You don’t have any drop off in water pressure or anything. It is a very smooth transition.”

Fire officials opted for the diesel backup because the equipment needs to be reliable during extended fire events. The engine can go up to 80 miles on a battery charge and pump water for an average of two hours before the diesel kicks in, Gaboury said.

There are similar engines being beta-tested in Oregon, Arizona and Wisconsin, but San Diego is getting the first production model of the engine in the western U.S., according to Gaboury.

Mayor Todd Gloria said the long-awaited fire station shows that persistence pays off. He said he ha

Jim Sullivan
The Daily News of Newburyport, Mass.
(TNS)

Oct. 17—NEWBURYPORT — After just over a year of construction, the $9.2 million John F. Cutter Jr. Fire Station is expected to be open for business by Nov. 1, according to city officials.

“We’re really excited to open this new building. It really looks amazing,” Mayor Sean Reardon said. “I can’t wait to show the rest of the community how this worked out.”

The city began work on the new West End fire station at 153 Storey Ave. in late August 2023. The 6,600-square-foot building was built where the 2,258-square-foot fire station once stood.

Although it was always fully manned, the 51-year-old fire station had been deteriorating for years until it no longer met fire codes. That prompted local leaders to draw plans and secure funding to replace it so that the city’s more isolated West End could be protected around the clock.

The new building includes separate firefighter living quarters as well as workspace with five bedrooms and three restrooms with gender separation.

It also features larger apparatus bays and brings the city into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Geordie Vining, the city’s special projects manager, has been overseeing the project he said for roughly the past five years.

He said the fire department received the certificate of occupancy from the Newburyport Building Department on Friday.

Fire Chief Stephen Bradbury III said the fire station building committee held its final meeting Tuesday morning and there’s very little left to do.

“We’re just waiting on one final piece of the puzzle, which is connecting the two stations so they can talk to each other,” he said. “Then we’ll be good to go.”

A grand opening ceremony, according Reardon is tentatively scheduled for Friday, Nov. 1.

“I go by it all the time and I think it looks great,” he said. “Projects like these are important. I hand it to Chief Bradbury for not only be able to work on the construction of a new building but to also work with a combined staff at the current headquarters that also needs an upgrade.”

Late last August, the city broke ground on the project with a promised September 2024 completion date.

All things considered, Bradbury said, holding a grand opening ceremony on the first day of November is a pretty good resolution.

“It’s not bad, really,” he said. “We turned it around pretty quick. All in all, I’m happy with the way it played out.”

The West End fire station has traditionally housed three firefighters. Over the past year, those workers have been stationed in the fire department’s Greenleaf Street headquarters.

Bradbury said the temporary living arrangements have worked out just fine.

“They can see the station nearing completion so everybody’s itching to get over there,” he said. “The furniture has all been delivered. We’re just waiting on the mattresses and some chairs in the kitchen.”

Training on the new building, Bradbury said is scheduled for next Wednesday.

“We’re really starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.

Vining said he’s also very excited to be near the finish line.

“We were all just reminiscing about just how terrible the old facility was and how this one is just worlds better,” he said. “It’s been a real pleasure to see the members of the Fire Department getting familiar with this great new asset for the city.”

The new fire station sits in the middle of a residenti