BY JIM O’BRIEN

A critical part of public fire protection planning is to create and maintain the organization, resources, and equipment that will execute a fire suppression plan.

This plan uses tactical units—i.e., fire companies—to achieve its goals. Larger departments can specialize the functions of these companies—hence, the ladder company. The choice of apparatus can impact success of the plan, vis-a-vis fireground operations. The process of choosing the right one must employ several disciplines, considering such areas as engineering, operations, finance, and policy. A systematic process must be used. Having done all of that, the Boston (MA) Fire Department chose to standardize our ladder truck design. An old maxim states, “The truck will support your tactics, or your tactics will be dictated by the truck,” and this guided our decisions. The trucks had to be safer and more reliable in operation. Our goal was a maximum of 15 days out of service (OOS) per year at five years. This would be very good for a fire truck, and these trucks are averaging five to seven days (including accomodating preventive maintenance and testing).

I will describe some of the features of these trucks to give you some things to think about when spec’ing a new truck. Keep in mind that who “makes” the truck matters less than the type of truck; the buyer must employ due diligence in coordinating with dealers and manufacturers to address all of a department’s needs. The right truck starts with an honest assessment of what you need. We needed smaller, lighter, and more maneuverable ladder trucks while reducing costs, crashes, and the likelihood of a crash and improving overall reliability and operational capability.

I’ve summarized the major areas addressed: the truck’s driveline, its aerial and operations, and its vision systems.

DRIVELINE

A 450-horsepower (hp) motor (turbo diesel) was chosen, as it had adequate power and was cheaper and lighter than the more powerful (big block) engine. Since the truck is 6,500 pounds lighter than our previous standard truck, we have found it more than adequate. This motor also has excellent heat management characteristics in this application. This will add to reliability and reduce OOS time caused by heat-stressed alternators, oil coolers, and other components.

The braking system includes the driveline (motor, transmission) and air-operated foundation brakes. Drum brakes are used on the rear on a single axle. With a 31,000-pound axle, it has large brakes adequate for the challenges of response tasks. This was not the case before modern auxiliary braking systems. Auxiliary braking includes an automatic downshift feature (any time throttle is in zero fuel position, above approximately 12 miles per hour) of the automatic transmission and a top gear lockout feature. The engine brake is also part of this system. This is a game changer. Brake fade from heat, the bug-a-boo of fire apparatus, is a thing of the past—IF the systems are used (policy and training must support this). Automatic lockout of top gear prevents the untimely shift into fifth gear. That last shift cuts driveline braking in half (measured as braking horsepower), and that is BAD. So, our new design provides excellent control, and a truck is much less likely to experience catastrophic brake failure from overuse and the attendant heat. This is evidenced by the brakes lasting at least four times longer than before with no evidence of overheating.

Posted: Feb 1, 2019

Water Tanks for Fire Apparatus

BY CHAD FALLS

More than 30 years ago, fire truck manufacturers started using plastic for their water tanks. With that being said, I am going to walk you through the history and evolution of plastic water tanks in fire apparatus from my perspective.

Along the way, I’ll explain why it is important not only to buy trucks and tanks from Fire Apparatus Manufacturers’ Association (FAMA) members but also to make sure that you are using the FAMA buyers guide, which ensures the best decision for your department.

HISTORY

First, let’s go back to the early 1980s. Alongside the copious amount of perms, glam rock, and spandex, the plastic welding industry was also starting to grow in the United States. While entrepreneurs and engineers were working hard to come up with the best design for water tanks, I was just a kid chasing frogs, building forts, and probably sporting a mullet (thanks, Mom). In all seriousness, we owe a lot to those innovators who worked along with and for fire apparatus manufacturers. Ultimately, they helped pave the way for the future of plastic fabrication and water tanks. Looking back, it’s amazing to think that without their efforts, I would not be here writing this today.

It did not take long for fire truck manufacturers to see that these new tanks made from plastic solved a major problem. Plastic is a noncorrosive product, so it eliminated the possibility of rust and leaks caused by corrosion. These tanks were first built from homopolymer polypropylene, a material that held up great against forms of corrosion but failed miserably when introduced to impact or extreme stress tests. That is when FAMA members that produce plastic water tanks started using their own version of a copolymer. Most of this product is still polypropylene, but with the benefits of some polyethylene, this product became bulletproof. No joke—this material is bulletproof to a .45 bullet at point blank range. Now, I should add a disclaimer here: This is not the time to try and shoot your water tank, as it is extremely dangerous! However, if you really want to see it, e-mail me and I will send you the video.

Over the past 25 years, FAMA members that produced water tanks also started adding “baffles” to the tanks. No, I’m not trying confuse you with the word baffles, so I’ll add that they are flow directing obstructing veins or panels inside of plastic tanks. They made the tanks much safer options for firefighters. Tanks baffled correctly are now much easier to deal with when turning, starting, and stopping the trucks, as the water is no longer constantly shifting weight. By adding them, tanks were made much stronger because the baffles also created tremendous support. Fun fact: This was such an important design element of the tank that it is now included in National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1901, Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus; NFPA 1906, Standard for Automotive Wildland Fire Apparatus; and NFPA 414, Standard for Aircraft Rescue and Fire-Fighting Vehicles.

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Posted: Feb 1, 2019

Water Tanks for Fire Apparatus

BY CHAD FALLS

More than 30 years ago, fire truck manufacturers started using plastic for their water tanks. With that being said, I am going to walk you through the history and evolution of plastic water tanks in fire apparatus from my perspective.

Along the way, I’ll explain why it is important not only to buy trucks and tanks from Fire Apparatus Manufacturers’ Association (FAMA) members but also to make sure that you are using the FAMA buyers guide, which ensures the best decision for your department.

HISTORY

First, let’s go back to the early 1980s. Alongside the copious amount of perms, glam rock, and spandex, the plastic welding industry was also starting to grow in the United States. While entrepreneurs and engineers were working hard to come up with the best design for water tanks, I was just a kid chasing frogs, building forts, and probably sporting a mullet (thanks, Mom). In all seriousness, we owe a lot to those innovators who worked along with and for fire apparatus manufacturers. Ultimately, they helped pave the way for the future of plastic fabrication and water tanks. Looking back, it’s amazing to think that without their efforts, I would not be here writing this today.

It did not take long for fire truck manufacturers to see that these new tanks made from plastic solved a major problem. Plastic is a noncorrosive product, so it eliminated the possibility of rust and leaks caused by corrosion. These tanks were first built from homopolymer polypropylene, a material that held up great against forms of corrosion but failed miserably when introduced to impact or extreme stress tests. That is when FAMA members that produce plastic water tanks started using their own version of a copolymer. Most of this product is still polypropylene, but with the benefits of some polyethylene, this product became bulletproof. No joke—this material is bulletproof to a .45 bullet at point blank range. Now, I should add a disclaimer here: This is not the time to try and shoot your water tank, as it is extremely dangerous! However, if you really want to see it, e-mail me and I will send you the video.

Over the past 25 years, FAMA members that produced water tanks also started adding “baffles” to the tanks. No, I’m not trying confuse you with the word baffles, so I’ll add that they are flow directing obstructing veins or panels inside of plastic tanks. They made the tanks much safer options for firefighters. Tanks baffled correctly are now much easier to deal with when turning, starting, and stopping the trucks, as the water is no longer constantly shifting weight. By adding them, tanks were made much stronger because the baffles also created tremendous support. Fun fact: This was such an important design element of the tank that it is now included in National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1901, Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus; NFPA 1906, Standard for Automotive Wildland Fire Apparatus; and NFPA 414, Standard for Aircraft Rescue and Fire-Fighting Vehicles.

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Posted: Feb 1, 2019

Fire Apparatus Used as Blocking Rigs

Chris Mc Loone

“Fire Engine Crashes En Route to Fire,” “Fire Apparatus Overturns,” “Man Hospitalized After Accident with Fire Apparatus,” “Driver Injured in Fire Apparatus Accident”—these are just a few of the headlines we’ve run at FireApparatus.com since the start of 2019.

Some involve civilian drivers hitting parked fire apparatus; some involve the apparatus hitting something else. So, we’ve got some work to do to improve these things during 2019. Naturally, accidents happen. No one is arguing that. However, preventable accidents during a response, to me, are unacceptable if they are preventable by the crew on the rig.

Fire apparatus being hit when they are properly staged to block traffic is a different problem and one whose solution has evaded the fire service. Departments are being proactive. Some stage multiple units. Some have started repurposing retired rigs to serve as blockers only. It can’t possibly be that drivers cannot see us on the road—at least not newer rigs with LED lighting packages. We responded to a recent job where two police vehicles blocked traffic, yet people still drove through. Maybe the problem is just that no one sees putting out a building fire safely or extricating a driver or passenger safely as more important than finding a different route to buy a gallon of milk.

Chris Daly continues his series of articles this month covering fire apparatus rollovers. By touching on topics not often covered during an emergency vehicle operation course, the article series provides information for apparatus operators to keep in the back of their minds as they respond to hopefully reduce the number of rollovers throughout the year.

But, we also have the problem of firefighters and fire apparatus being struck at accident scenes. The instances do not seem to be going down. Distracted driving, driving under the influence, and cars with increased soundproofing are just a few of the problems. The solution has remained elusive. And, people don’t only ignore fire apparatus. I walk my kids up the street every morning to their bus stop. At least every other day, the bus driver has to honk the bus’s horn at a car that doesn’t stop when its red lights are on.

So, what is the solution on the fire truck side? I like the idea of taking old rigs that are being retired and repurposing them as blocking trucks, provided they are still reliable enough to start up when needed. Depending on their age, I do hope that they will be hooked up to diesel exhaust extraction systems of some sort, especially if they are near turnout gear. Even late 1990s rigs pipes can belch some dark diesel exhaust.

What is interesting to me, though, is that there really aren’t any standards that cover when a vehicle is repurposed. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1901, Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus, covers new trucks. NFPA 1912, Standard for Apparatus Refurbishing, covers fire apparatus that still serve their original purpose but have been refurbished to continue as reserve pieces or many times first-out rigs. But, there isn’t anything about what you do when you are repurpos

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