By Bill Adams
Many fire service publications expound on reducing career staffing in cash-strapped municipal fire departments and the declining number of volunteer firefighters in the suburbs. One result of the declining number of firefighters is the increased use of multipurpose apparatus. The days of traditional engine and ladder companies and single-function support apparatus such as hose wagons, tankers (water tenders), heavy rescues, and squad trucks may be numbered. Reviews of recent deliveries of multipurpose rigs show that most pundits praise the work of the apparatus purchasing committees (APCs), expound on the expertise of the manufacturers, give basic descriptions of the apparatus, and state how everyone is ecstatic with the new delivery.
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| 1 The Village of Manchester (NY) Fire Department’s four primary front-line rigs include a used heavy rescue, a used rear-mount aerial ladder, a pumper, and a pumper-tanker. A new quint and the pumper-tanker will soon be its only two primary pieces. An existing four-door brush truck and a four-door utility vehicle will move up to the front row. (Photos by author unless otherwise noted.) |
The decision making process in determining why a department specifies a particular type of rig is seldom discussed in detail. What is the reasoning? What’s being gained? More importantly, what’s being lost? That information might be more beneficial to APCs than describing a new rig’s color scheme; the number of sirens mounted on the front bumper; and how the apparatus is better than apple pie, sunshine, and fresh air.
A local fire chief said he was selling three rigs, keeping one, and purchasing one new one. I kiddingly called it the 3-1-1 concept. I’m not a proponent of multipurpose apparatus, so learning that this chief was substantially downsizing his fleet and purchasing a single multipurpose rig was the impetus for this article. I challenged his decision making process while expressing my own traditionalist views. He granted an interview. His candid responses are educational.
Manchester (NY) Fire Department
The Village of Manchester (NY) Fire Department (MFD), located in Ontario County in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, was established in 1912. It covers 25 square miles including the one-square-mile village where more than half of the 3,000 residents reside. It has an Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating of 5-both inside and outside the village. Last year, the department responded to 217 alarms, up from 150 10 years ago. Except for an occasional call to assist an outside ambulance service with a forced entry to a structure, a lift assist, or setting up a landing zone for a helicopter transport, it does not provide emergency medical services (EMS). It does not carry EMS equipment on the apparatus except for what is National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) mandated.
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Posted: Nov 2, 2016
Sharpsburg (PA) Volunteer Fire Department Legend series pumper. Metro Star cab and chassis; Cummins ISL 450-hp engine; Darley PSM 1,500-gpm pump.
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Posted: Nov 1, 2016
Members of the Manila Fire Department are pleased to have new rescue equipment in-house. The new 18 foot trailer houses equipment needed for emergency rescue in grain bins. Rescue equipment includes harnesses, helmets, rope, cutting tools, tri-pod, let-down basket, rescue tube and auger, vacuums along with masks, ear plugs and ear muffs, etc.
Members of Leachville Fire Department joined Manila firefighters on Saturday, Oct. 22, for an all day training session.
The equipment was purchased through a joint effort raising $17,000 for the needed equipment.
"Grain bins are all around us," Manila Fire Chief Tracey Reinhart said.
The firemen met on Thursday evening and invited people who had helped with the purchase to view the trailer and eqiupment.
Donations came from Cox Pirani Farms (Dino Pirani); David and Justin Wildy (Wildy Family Farms); Chris Bennett with Agxplore; Gene Adams with Adams Farms; and Jared Camp who organized a wrestling fundraising event.
Also the citizens of Manila supported the efforts as the firefighters held a Boston butt sale, car wash and boot collection road block.
Fire Chief Reinhart expressed his appreciation to all of the contributors and members of the fire department for their efforts in acquiring the rescue equipment.
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Posted: Nov 1, 2016
The Westby-Christiana Fire Department won a grain bin rescue tube and hands-on rescue training as part of Nationwide's 2016 Nominate Your Fire Department Contest held in conjunction with Grain Bin Safety Week held annually in February. Grain Bin Safety Week is an annual observance that occurs the third full week of February to promote grain bin safety on farms and commercial grain handling facilities.
Westby fireman Eric Nottestad applied for the grain rescue tube grant on behalf of the Westby-Christiana Fire Department. The annual contest encourages nominations of first responders whose communities would benefit from winning a tube and training. It asks departments to describe how they would share the tube and training information with nearby fire departments. This year's contest generated a record 641 nominations and will provide tubes and training to 19 fire departments across 14 states -- another record.
Westby-Christiana Fire Department Chief Gilbert Turben said winning the grain rescue tube was a win-win for the department which is located in the heart of rural America and an area blessed with many varieties of grain holding and production facilities. He said the training they received on Oct. 5 was very informative and provided his department with information completely new to them.
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