By Alan M. Petrillo

Riceville (NC) Volunteer Fire Department needed a new pumper to replace a 1990 two-seat Emergency Equipment Inc. rig that had seen better days. But Chief Thad B. Lewis put limitations on the truck committee when it started preparing specs, namely a low overall height and a short overall length because of area topography and firehouse size issues; plus, the vehicle had to function as a tanker.

“Our bay doors are only 10 feet high, so we wanted a pumper with a maximum height of 9½ feet,” Lewis says, “and we have truck bays that are about 40 feet deep, so we wanted to see around a 27-foot overall length. The truck had to be maneuverable because of our very hilly district, and it had to serve as a tanker when needed.”

Lewis says the truck committee worked well within the restrictions laid out and developed a set of specifications that five manufacturers bid on. “The truck committee then determined the strengths and weaknesses of each of the bidders and noted what the bidders complied with and what they didn’t,” he says. “KME came the closest to matching everything we wanted, so it got the contract.”

1 The Riceville (NC) Volunteer Fire Department chose KME to build this short overall length, low-height, short-wheelbase pumper. Note the tight front bumper. The vehicle also lacks a backstep, having two pull-out platforms instead. (Photos courtesy of KME.)

The end result is a pumper-tanker on a KME Severe Service MFD cab with a 10-inch raised roof and seating for four firefighters, an overall height of 9 feet 5 inches, an overall length of 27 feet 7½ inches, and a wheelbase of 166 inches. The vehicle is powered by a Cummins 500-horsepower (hp) ISX 12 diesel engine and an Allison 4000 EVS automatic transmission and has a Hale Qmax 1,500-gallon-per-minute (gpm) pump, a United Plastic Fabricating (UPF) 1,000-gallon water tank, a 20-gallon integral foam tank, and a Waterous Aquis 2.5 Class A foam system.

Ryan Slane, product manager for KME’s pumper-tanker group, says one of the ways KME shoehorned a 1,000-gallon water tank onto a short-wheelbase and short-overall-length vehicle is to extend the hosebed and tank to the edge of the truck’s body and raise it a bit higher. “With a full-width hosebed over the tank to the edge of the body, we got 14 extra inches for hose space,” Slane says. “Ladders were nested on the officer’s side, and the hosebed sits higher than is typical because we had to package the volume of the tank. But that was something Riceville was willing to do: have a higher hosebed with 1,000 gallons of water but still on a 166-inch wheelbase.”

2 The Riceville pumper has a Hale QMAX 1,500-gallon-per-minute (gpm) pump, a United Plastic Fabricating (UPF) 1,000-gallon water tank, a 20-gallon integral foam tank, and a Waterous Aquis 2.5 Class A foam system.

Lewis points out that in some areas of Riceville’s

By Vicky Broadus

In Lexington, Kentucky, the city fire department’s maintenance facility is housed in a building that dates to the 1920s.

Though a venerable old structure, its age and design presented problems for the maintenance crew staffed there. A big part of its problem could be traced to the metal halide lights that had been in place for 30 years.

When the old building was constructed nearly 100 years ago, 21st-century technology and the requirements of modern fire apparatus were far from anyone’s mind. The ceilings weren’t built very high, so the large profile of metal halides left technicians with barely enough clearance to do their job, requiring creative parking to find the space needed to raise the cabs to get access to the engines.

The old lighting created other problems, too. Metal halide bulbs rapidly dimmed as they aged and constantly needed to be replaced. Even when new bulbs were still at full brightness, there was significant warm-up time. It could take as long as 20 minutes for the fixtures to reach full brightness. And, then there was the issue of energy costs-anyone who’s paid the electric bill on a facility with metal halides knows the significant amount of energy the lights use.

1 The direct light from an overhead LED fixture creates a brighter, more easily visible work area that is especially useful for sight-sensitive tasks such as engine repair and body work, reducing the need for flashlights and numerous portable task lights. (Photos courtesy of Big Ass Light.)

When the battalion chief got the opportunity to replace the metal halides, he knew he wanted to upgrade to energy-efficient LEDs. Additionally, the department needed not only brighter light but more effective placement. Nearly 30 high-bay 26,000-lumen LED fixtures from vendor Big Ass Light were positioned throughout the maintenance facility, and several 14,000-lumen fixtures were placed above the parts department.

The change was dramatic. “Everything is much brighter,” says Battalion Chief Phil Buettner. “Now the lights shine directly over the apparatus bay.” The chief compared it to having a task light for the entire garage. And, the LEDs’ lower profile means they don’t get in the way, so there’s better clearance for engine maintenance. “Before, my mechanics had to use stick lights to see the engines. Now, with the cab raised and purposely placed lights, they can see clearly, with the LED shining down where they need it,” Buettner says.

The maintenance crew also appreciates that the new LEDs don’t require any warmup; the instant-on means less time is wasted. And, the brighter space is a safer place, with no dim corners or shadows and no more fumbling with a flashlight when turning a wrench or hunting down a part in the crowded garage.

The LEDs’ built-in longevity guarantees years of maintenance-free use. And though it’s too soon to calculate and compare energy use, even with the greater number of fixtures, the savings are expected to be significant as the LEDs draw about half the power of the metal halides.

LEDs: A Long-Term Investment

Whether they’re serving large metropolitan cities or small communities, fire departments everywhere face the same chal

By Vicky Broadus

In Lexington, Kentucky, the city fire department’s maintenance facility is housed in a building that dates to the 1920s.

Though a venerable old structure, its age and design presented problems for the maintenance crew staffed there. A big part of its problem could be traced to the metal halide lights that had been in place for 30 years.

When the old building was constructed nearly 100 years ago, 21st-century technology and the requirements of modern fire apparatus were far from anyone’s mind. The ceilings weren’t built very high, so the large profile of metal halides left technicians with barely enough clearance to do their job, requiring creative parking to find the space needed to raise the cabs to get access to the engines.

The old lighting created other problems, too. Metal halide bulbs rapidly dimmed as they aged and constantly needed to be replaced. Even when new bulbs were still at full brightness, there was significant warm-up time. It could take as long as 20 minutes for the fixtures to reach full brightness. And, then there was the issue of energy costs-anyone who’s paid the electric bill on a facility with metal halides knows the significant amount of energy the lights use.

1 The direct light from an overhead LED fixture creates a brighter, more easily visible work area that is especially useful for sight-sensitive tasks such as engine repair and body work, reducing the need for flashlights and numerous portable task lights. (Photos courtesy of Big Ass Light.)

When the battalion chief got the opportunity to replace the metal halides, he knew he wanted to upgrade to energy-efficient LEDs. Additionally, the department needed not only brighter light but more effective placement. Nearly 30 high-bay 26,000-lumen LED fixtures from vendor Big Ass Light were positioned throughout the maintenance facility, and several 14,000-lumen fixtures were placed above the parts department.

The change was dramatic. “Everything is much brighter,” says Battalion Chief Phil Buettner. “Now the lights shine directly over the apparatus bay.” The chief compared it to having a task light for the entire garage. And, the LEDs’ lower profile means they don’t get in the way, so there’s better clearance for engine maintenance. “Before, my mechanics had to use stick lights to see the engines. Now, with the cab raised and purposely placed lights, they can see clearly, with the LED shining down where they need it,” Buettner says.

The maintenance crew also appreciates that the new LEDs don’t require any warmup; the instant-on means less time is wasted. And, the brighter space is a safer place, with no dim corners or shadows and no more fumbling with a flashlight when turning a wrench or hunting down a part in the crowded garage.

The LEDs’ built-in longevity guarantees years of maintenance-free use. And though it’s too soon to calculate and compare energy use, even with the greater number of fixtures, the savings are expected to be significant as the LEDs draw about half the power of the metal halides.

LEDs: A Long-Term Investment

Whether they’re serving large metropolitan cities or small communities, fire departments everywhere face the same chal

By Vicky Broadus

In Lexington, Kentucky, the city fire department’s maintenance facility is housed in a building that dates to the 1920s.

Though a venerable old structure, its age and design presented problems for the maintenance crew staffed there. A big part of its problem could be traced to the metal halide lights that had been in place for 30 years.

When the old building was constructed nearly 100 years ago, 21st-century technology and the requirements of modern fire apparatus were far from anyone’s mind. The ceilings weren’t built very high, so the large profile of metal halides left technicians with barely enough clearance to do their job, requiring creative parking to find the space needed to raise the cabs to get access to the engines.

The old lighting created other problems, too. Metal halide bulbs rapidly dimmed as they aged and constantly needed to be replaced. Even when new bulbs were still at full brightness, there was significant warm-up time. It could take as long as 20 minutes for the fixtures to reach full brightness. And, then there was the issue of energy costs-anyone who’s paid the electric bill on a facility with metal halides knows the significant amount of energy the lights use.

1 The direct light from an overhead LED fixture creates a brighter, more easily visible work area that is especially useful for sight-sensitive tasks such as engine repair and body work, reducing the need for flashlights and numerous portable task lights. (Photos courtesy of Big Ass Light.)

When the battalion chief got the opportunity to replace the metal halides, he knew he wanted to upgrade to energy-efficient LEDs. Additionally, the department needed not only brighter light but more effective placement. Nearly 30 high-bay 26,000-lumen LED fixtures from vendor Big Ass Light were positioned throughout the maintenance facility, and several 14,000-lumen fixtures were placed above the parts department.

The change was dramatic. “Everything is much brighter,” says Battalion Chief Phil Buettner. “Now the lights shine directly over the apparatus bay.” The chief compared it to having a task light for the entire garage. And, the LEDs’ lower profile means they don’t get in the way, so there’s better clearance for engine maintenance. “Before, my mechanics had to use stick lights to see the engines. Now, with the cab raised and purposely placed lights, they can see clearly, with the LED shining down where they need it,” Buettner says.

The maintenance crew also appreciates that the new LEDs don’t require any warmup; the instant-on means less time is wasted. And, the brighter space is a safer place, with no dim corners or shadows and no more fumbling with a flashlight when turning a wrench or hunting down a part in the crowded garage.

The LEDs’ built-in longevity guarantees years of maintenance-free use. And though it’s too soon to calculate and compare energy use, even with the greater number of fixtures, the savings are expected to be significant as the LEDs draw about half the power of the metal halides.

LEDs: A Long-Term Investment

Whether they’re serving large metropolitan cities or small communities, fire departments everywhere face the same chal