Apparatus Ideas Bob Vaccaro
The Seaford (NY) Fire Department is an all-volunteer department located on the south shore of Nassau County, Long Island. Its fire district is relatively small, covering 2.3 square miles with a population of roughly just over 15,000.
Its response district, like most on Long Island, has a great number of shopping areas, schools, and businesses. It also has one of the main lines of the Long Island Railroad and a considerable amount of waterfront on the Great South Bay.
According to Captain Joseph Pignataro, “Our department looks to replace apparatus on a 20- to 25-year cycle. However, it really depends on our budget, the condition of the apparatus, and the money in our apparatus reserve fund. Back in 2015, we started looking to replace an older aerial that we had in service. It was beginning to show signs of wear, and we decided to start the process of looking at what was out there as far as what different manufacturers had to offer.”
He continues: “We eventually chose Rosenbauer because of the ease of operation and the overall maneuverability of the truck. Our fire district has a great number of tight streets, and this vehicle was easy to handle for our drivers to maneuver around. By going with the Rosenbauer Viper Model, it gave us an additional 9 feet of reach compared to a standard 100-foot rear-mount aerial.”
The department usually only allows two members to be on the apparatus committee, to make it easier to make decisions. Members found in the past that too many opinions were too much of a distraction for getting anything done in a timely manner.
In 2020, the committee was challenged to work on the design of a pumper for the fire district. This time, it would be replacing a 1994 pumper that had served them well.
Since the department had a good experience in the past with Rosenbauer, it decided to go that route again. It took 1½ years to work on the design and specs because of COVID-19; there were a lot of Zoom meetings. “Since we went with the Source Well Consortium, we didn’t have to go to bid and could choose who we wanted for the build. The local dealer for Rosenbauer had changed since we took delivery of our ladder, but both offered us great service and helped us with the design and operation of both vehicles as far as training and service after the sale,” Pignataro adds.
“For the engine design specs, we wanted a basic type of apparatus. We went from a top-mount to a side-mount this time around to gain more compartment space. Also, a low hosebed in the rear makes it easier for our firefighters to stretch hoselines,” Pignataro says. “Our committee decided a generator wasn’t necessary since the 12 Volt V-Mux Electrical System was enough to handle our needs.”
1 The Seaford Fire Department’s Rosenbauer Commander side-mount pumper. (Photos by author.)
2 The Seaford Fire Department’s Rosenbauer Commander Viper 109-foot rear-mount aerial.
Posted: Jan 4, 2023
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Posted: Jan 4, 2023
A crash involving a Windsor Locks Fire Department truck on I-91 South in Windsor Locks partially shut down the highway on Wednesday morning, wtnh.com reported.
State police said that just after 4 a.m., a parked and unoccupied fire truck was struck by another vehicle on the roadway near exit 40. The fire truck was on the scene for an unrelated incident when it was hit, police said.
Injuries were reported at the scene, and one person was transported to a local hospital, the report said.
Due to the collision, the right three lanes of the highway are shut down between exits 40 and 38A. Officials are asking that travelers in the area use extra caution and expect delays.
Source: Windsor Locks Fire Department.
Source: Windsor Locks Fire Department.
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Posted: Jan 4, 2023
For the first time in 25 years, the Price City Fire Department has a new fire truck, KUER.org reported.
A fire official stressed the need for a new engine during a special city council meeting November 30. One of the department’s two trucks has been around for three decades and is currently out of commission, the report said.
While still in use, the other engine is 27 years old.
The city council approved the purchase of a $595,000 truck with 5,000 miles on it, the report said. The Rosenbauer model truck was shown to departments around the state and it was available for them to buy. The typical process to obtain a new truck could have taken up to four years and come with a $1 million price tag, according to the report.
The vendor also required the city to make a decision by December 1 or risk another fire department purchasing it, the report said.
Price City Fire is one of five fire departments in Carbon County and serves roughly 9,000 citizens. They also help other departments when needed.
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