By Peter Ong
During the past year, the San Francisco (CA) Fire Department (SFFD) has placed 10 2014 Spartan Emergency Response (ER) engines with Metro Star LFD raised cabs and chassis into service. Costing $453,288 each, each pumper has an aluminum body, brushed aluminum roll-up doors, severe-duty bumper extension, “beavertail” rear design, Cummins ISL9 450-hp engine, Allison 3000 EVS transmission, Hale QTWO two-stage 1,500-gallon-per-minute (gpm) pump, UPF 500-gallon internal tank, all LED external and emergency lights, preconnected front bumper hoseline, Akron deck gun, two Grote Trilliant telescopic flood lights, and various custom features specific to the SFFD.
Unique to San Francisco
The engines employ some custom features unique to the SFFD and called for by the SFFD’s Bureau of Equipment, the agency that orders and maintains all of the department’s vehicles. The SFFD remains one of the few fire departments in the nation to use the beavertail rear design. These vertical right triangles extend down from the rear of the engine onto the rear bumper step. This allows for a wider and heavier duty rear bumper-the rear bumper step is 16 inches deep-that allows firefighters easier access to load and unload ladders and hose at the rear of the engine.
Before, the SFFD’s wooden ladders rested on the sides of the engines, exposed to the elements. The new engines have an internal compartment between the hosebeds that allows all ladders to be stored internally for added safety and protection.
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| 1 San Francisco (CA) Fire Department (SFFD) Engine 1 is one of 10 2014 Spartan ER 1,500/500 pumpers placed in service during the past year. (Photos by author.) |
Because of the steep hills around San Francisco, SFFD engines require higher-than-usual ground clearance to climb them without scraping the body and bumpers. The height from the ground to the top of the rear bumper step is a little more than two feet. This higher ground clearance allows for a 14-degree angle of approach for the front of the truck and 14-degree angle for the back to prevent the pumper from scraping as it climbs and descends the steep San Francisco hills. The newer rigs have higher horsepower engines and heavier duty suspensions than the Spartan ER pumpers the department ordered in 2012. The 2014 Spartans also underwent some of the strictest braking tests for any fire department, crucial for a city famed for its hills.
The pumpers have stainless steel pump panels to protect against the salty San Francisco air. According to the Bureau of Equipment, the 2014 Spartans’ pump panels have one six-inch master intake valve and one three-inch auxiliary suction intake along with two three-inch discharges on each side of the pump panel. The front bumper on each pumper has a preconnected 1¾-inch line used for trash and debris fires that is piped to the rig’s 500-gallon tank. The rear of the units has two three-inch discharges and two 1¾-inch discharges. The Akron monitor is supplied by a four-inch pipe with a three-inch valve. Furthermore, better seats were installed to provide a smoother ride. Even the cab’s lightbar received close scrutiny by the Bureau of Equipment as to actual makeup of the LED colors inside.1 In keeping with tradition, a chrome bell rests on the officer-side front corner of the cab.
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Posted: Apr 14, 2016
The city will dedicate its downtown fire station to former Fire Chief David Nondorf in a short ceremony at 5 p.m. Friday at the station at 205 Indiana Ave. The city will place a memorial plaque on the building, recognizing Nondorf's name, fire department number and more than 25 years of service to the department.
The city will place a memorial plaque on the building, recognizing Nondorf's name, fire department number and more than 25 years of service to the department. The public is invited to join the city and the Nondorf family in the dedication.
"We would like to keep the memories of our past members alive and never forget the years they dedicated to this community," said Fire Chief Chad Dutz, who trained alongside Nondorf. "Chief Nondorf's commitment was extraordinary. He was committed to his vision for the department and passionate about achieving his goals for the community."
Mayor Jon Costas said Nondorf is remembered as a consummate fire chief, a man of integrity, and a dear friend of Valparaiso.
Costas named Nondorf fire chief upon taking office in 2004.
Nondorf died in August after a seven-year battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife, Kristy, and three children, Nicholas, Zachary and Madison. Nicholas Nondorf has been a Valparaiso firefighter since 2011.
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Posted: Apr 14, 2016
A deadly fire truck accident seven years ago triggered what was thought to be a major overhaul of the Boston Fire Department's fleet maintenance division, but 5 Investigates has learned that promised overhaul has been an "abject failure," according to a key safety expert.
The city made changes to the fleet maintenance division after the tragic crash in 2009 that killed Lt. Kevin Kelley. At that time the engines and ladders were not being maintained and were in very poor condition.
In January 2009, Ladder 26 barreled down a hill, plowing through a major intersection with no brakes. The truck slammed into a building, killing Kelley and injuring two firefighters.
Investigators found brake failure caused by improper maintenance was partly to blame, and the accident exposed major flaws in the department's vehicle maintenance program, flaws that put the safety of firefighters and the public at risk.
The city overhauled the Fleet Maintenance Division, replacing firefighters who were performing maintenance with licensed mechanics.
But a report obtained by 5 investigates calls that move an abject failure, suggesting the hard lessons from Kelley's death have not been learned.
According to the report, daily inspections have been abandoned and preventative maintenance is in disarray, with some trucks more than 200 days past due on inspections.
In addition, the report found no one in the department knows how to use the computerized fleet management system and tests on engines to make sure they pump out enough water at the right pressure were not properly done.
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Posted: Apr 14, 2016
A hot-rodded 1944 Mack fire truck street rod known as the Black Mack will be featured in a special display of firefighting vehicles April 7-10 at the Pennzoil AutoFair at Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina.
The firefighting display, presented by Vintage Fire Truck & Equipment magazine, includes a 1922 Ford that has served the Farmland (Indiana) Fire Department since it was new; a tiny Scat emergency truck designed to reach fires in crowded buildings; specialized fire units built on an International Harvester Scout and a Ford Bronco; and two trucks that served Kings Mountain, North Carolina, in the 1930s.
The AutoFair also will feature various interactive displays, including the Fire Safety House hosted by the local Concord Fire Department.
The "Black Mack" went from fighting fires in North Riverside, Illinois, to smoking rubber after Precision Designs of Denver, Colorado, did a custom steel frame, heavily modifying the all-steel body and installed a V10 engine from a Dodge Viper. The engine, souped-up to produce 600 horsepower, is linked to a Dodge four-speed automatic taken from a Ram SRT-10 sport truck.
The Mack B rides on an airbagged suspension and a unique set of 24-inch polished aluminum American Force Wheels. The Dodge rear-axle assembly had to be narrowed by 14 inches to fit between the wide rear tires. Dodge truck disc brakes also were installed.
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