By Alan M. Petrillo
The Moncure (NC) Volunteer Fire Department wanted to replace two older vehicles in its fleet, 1990 and 1998 pumpers, with a new pumper and tanker to make its fleet more flexible. Moncure has a mostly rural fire district of 77 square miles with some heavy industry that includes two brick plants, a plywood plant, a chemical facility, and a medium-density fiberboard plant.
"We have hydrants only in about 30 percent of our district," says chief Robert Shi, "so we do quite a bit of rural water shuttle operations. Because we're shorthanded sometimes, we wanted a tanker that could show up with 3,000 gallons of water and an engine with 1,000 gallons so we could handle most of the situations that we have to face."
Shi says that Moncure worked with Tracy Melton of Melton Fire Group to craft specs for an engine that would fit the fire department's needs, and got quotes from six fire apparatus vendors. "Once we narrowed down our choices to Toyne, then we got a quote for building a tanker too," he points out.
Melton says the pumper Moncure received is built on a Spartan Metro Star MFD cab and chassis with a 10-inch raised roof powered by a 450-hp Cummins ISL 9 diesel engine, and an Allison 3000 EVS automatic transmission, with a Hale Qmax 1,500-gpm pump, and a UPF Poly 1,000-gallon water tank.
The tanker, Melton notes, is built on a Freightliner M2-112 6x4 cab and chassis, with a Hale Qmax 1,250-gpm pump, and a 3,000-gallon water tank. "Both vehicles have Toyne's bolted, brushed stainless steel bodies," Melton says.
Shi says his department's firefighters especially like the tanker's two 3,000-gallon portable water tanks (one on each side), as well as its three Newton 10-inch square electric dump valves (one at the rear and one each side of the rig, operated remotely from the cab or from the rear), as well as its front 6-inch suction intake, two cross lays (200 feet each of 1¾-inch and 2½-inch hose), and a hosebed holding 300 feet of 5-inch LDH, and 300 feet of 3 inch hose.
The Toyne pumper carries two 1¾-inch crosslays of 200 feet each, one 200-foot 2½-inch preconnect off the rear, an extended front bumper with 100 feet of 1¾-inch preconnect and a Hurst eDRAULIC® cutter and spreader in a covered compartment, as well as a Task Force Tips Extend-a-Gun, and a rear 6-inch intake so the rig doesn't block the road when pulling water from a portable water tank.
Shi points out that the right side of the pumper is set up for rescue work, with air bags, chains, cribbing, a Hurst ram, and other rescue equipment in compartments, while the left side has fire suppression equipment, including forcible entry tools, positive pressure fans, and hard suction hose. The pumper also has a diamond plate hose cover on top of the rig.
Melton adds that the pumper has a Toyne-built stainless steel ele