By Alan M. Petrillo

Rescue-pumpers have become fixtures in plenty of fire stations across the country, in many cases replacing two vehicles (a pumper and rescue) that at one time sat side by side in adjacent fire station bays.

As the use of rescue-pumpers continues to grow, manufacturers are making tweaks to their designs in response to requests for modifications from fire departments putting the apparatus to real-world use.

Tough to Define

Wayde Kirvida, factory sales engineer for CustomFIRE, believes that it's hard to pin down a precise definition of a rescue-pumper. "You take 20 firefighters and you'll get 20 different descriptions of a rescue-pumper," Kirvida says. "A lot of departments see the vehicle as mission-specific, where it runs out to a car wreck or a collapse call carrying equipment that doesn't exist on a structural firefighting pumper. So, its primary function might be as a pumper, but one that also can handle many rescue calls as well."

1 CustomFIRE built a rescue-pumper for the Morningside (MD) Fire Department where it special designed the compartments for specific equipment uses, as shown on the driver's side of the body. (Photo courtesy of CustomFIRE.)

Joe Messmer, president of Summit Fire Apparatus, says that rescue-pumpers appear to be the way of the future for fire departments. "It is the truck of favor at this point because the two types of vehicles go together so well," Messmer says. "My department, the Edgewood (KY) Fire Department, has run a rescue-pumper since the mid-1980s when its biggest feature was a front bumper extension with two hydraulic reels, two hydraulic rescue tools, and 200 feet of handline."

Messmer says that when Summit builds a rescue-pumper for a fire department, "we sit down with them and draw an imaginary line down the middle of the truck and decide which side is rescue and which is fire suppression. Then you determine the placement of the equipment on each side, and if something doesn't fit well on the vehicle, you have to consider the last time you used that piece of equipment and whether it's necessary to carry it."

To do a proper rescue-pumper, Messmer says, a department might have to give up something on each side of the vehicle. "You might have to carry a smaller fan than you would have liked, or give up some size in your water tank, or eliminate some other equipment you normally would carry on a traditional rescue," he adds. "But, times have changed, and the types of runs we go to have also."

2 Front bumpers continue to be a popular place to locate hydraulic rescue tools, as shown by this rescue-pumper built by Summit Fire Apparatus for the Crescent Springs-Villa Hills (KY) Fire Department. (Photo courtesy of Summit Fire Apparatus.)

Evolution

Shane Krueger, national sales manager for Marion Body Works, believes that rescue-pumpers have evolved for two main reasons: limited budgets and lack of personnel. "Many departments replace a second engine and a rescue with a single rescue-pumper as a way to justify a vehicle to the purchasing authority," Krueger says. "There's also the ability of the fire service to get enough personnel to respond

By Bill Adams

In 2012, the Rush (NY) Fire District retained an outside (third party) spec writer to "interact with apparatus manufacturers (OEMs) to coordinate preparing purchasing specifications" for a new pumper. Part 1 described the process from the successful bidder's viewpoint.

Part 2 evaluates the process from the purchaser's perspective. Apparatus purchasing committee (APC) members and past chiefs Bob Faugh, Mike Terzo Sr., and Dale Sweet were interviewed. Faugh and Terzo are current fire commissioners. Answers to specific questions (in italics) appear throughout this article.

Rush Truck Committee

"Truck committee" is local terminology for an APC. Faugh, says, "Our truck committee has considerable experience in purchasing apparatus. It includes four former chiefs. Most were involved in major purchases made in 2010; 2004; 2003; and with some on truck committees in 1995, 1992, and 1991. They've been through it before. Input from firematic line officers and firefighters was funneled through the department chief, Jim Bucci, who also sat on the committee."

1 The rear view of existing Pumper 582, a 2003 model that has served the district well. (Photos by author.)

Why a third-party spec writer?

Faugh states, "In the past, we always had a dealer help write specifications. The district had no problems with any of the manufacturers of the apparatus and chassis currently in service and would have purchased any of them. This time we felt writing an open specification would result in multiple bids benefiting the fire department and the taxpayers." He explains that there were two major reasons for going with an outside spec writer. "We knew the direction we wanted to go but weren't sure of the best way to get there. Some had reservations [about whether] a dealer would write an open specification. We didn't want to favor one manufacturer or exclude any either. It was best to have someone with no skin in the game. Another consideration was the time constraints on committee members. They spent a lot of time accumulating information, going to trade shows, and visiting other fire departments that recently purchased apparatus. We didn't relish meeting with a dozen vendors trying to sort through sales pitches."

Terzo concurs. "We spent a year at trade shows gathering ideas for this truck and talking with builders and inspecting their work," he says. "We did the same for our previous purchase, the rescue truck. The third party saved us lots of time. We were spinning our wheels a little bit in the beginning with many ideas, and the third party took us in the right direction to getting what we wanted. Instead of wasting time meeting with many dealers, we got the spec narrowed down to those who were interested in building the truck."

2 3 The rear view of the new Pumper 584. The new rig has all three suctions slide in on the right side with enclosed ladder storage on the left. The single high rear step compartment was split into an upper compartment carrying strainers and a lower compartment carrying a hydrant makeup kit. A tradeoff for redesigning and adding features to the back end was that the rear two-inch preconnected handline (tan in color on both rigs) remained high off the ground.

Swe

Christian P. Koop

Performance testing of fire pumps, once commonly referred to as service testing, is a basic requirement under National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1911, Standard for the Inspection, Maintenance, Testing, and Retirement of In-Service Automotive Fire Apparatus, that is in place to help ensure the heart of your fire truck, the fire pump, performs as designed so it can be reasonably expected to pump rated capacity every time it's needed during an emergency on the fireground.

It is a yearly requirement and also required after major pump system repairs have been done. As most know and will appreciate, a fire scene is not the place to find out that your rig's most important component will not deliver rated capacity or pressure when it is needed the most.

Over the past several years, I have noticed more companies are offering mobile pump testing services. This is probably a good option for those fire departments that do not have the time or staffing levels to get this very important requirement accomplished. However, I think it would be a great learning experience and more beneficial over the long run if done in-house. I truly believe having several key people on staff, fully trained, with the required test equipment to test fire pumps will pay dividends and is something departments should strive for. Keep in mind that performance testing is not only required by the NFPA once a year but it is also required after major repairs have been done to any part of the pump or the major components of the pumping system. This includes the drivetrain, fire pump, pump transmission (transfer case), and plumbing system.

Performance testing is a great training aid for pump operators and other crew members if they are present to assist during the actual test. Pump operators and other crew members can learn many important pump characteristics during testing that will help them gain more knowledge of the entire pumping system, which will translate to more experience and which could prove helpful during actual pumping situations at fire scenes.

My department for many years has had an emergency vehicle technician (EVT) present during testing for two main reasons: (1) to be readily available to address any minor mechanical/electrical problems that arise that can be repaired on scene without having to abort or reschedule the test; and (2) for training purposes, because being present and involved in the testing process will also help the EVT gain more knowledge and experience of the entire system just like it can for fire crew members.

Ensuring your rig is properly prepared for the test is an important step of the process. If the rig has been in service with no reported pump system issues and preventive maintenance (PM) is up to date, you should be good to move forward with the test. However, if PM is not up to date, it would be a good idea to have the shop's EVT fully service the rig prior to testing. If the unit is being tested because of major repairs, the shop should check to make sure PM services are up to date. If your rig's PM is not up to date, it is recommended to service the entire unit to include the engine, transmission, fire pump, pump transmission, and all chassis lubrication (including the discharge valve handles and all valve linkages) before the test. Operating all intake and discharge valves and test running the pump are essential parts of this service. This includes ensuring the pump governor and all relief valves, pump gauges, tank level gauges, pump drains, bleeders, and warning devices are operating

By Chris Mc Loone

Interschutz 2015 was an educational experience on many levels.

The magnitude-approximately 1,500 exhibitors spread over six buildings and outside exhibits with 51 nations represented-is probably the most striking feature of the show. Learning how to navigate a show of that size for the first time is definitely a "baptism by fire." But, there is far more to Interschutz than just being a big trade show. With 51 nations sending manufacturers, the show's international attendees get a chance to see apparatus and equipment designs from across the globe. There is something to learn from everything you see because none of it is the norm you are used to.

Specifically, attendees from North America are exposed to apparatus designed around tactics that differ greatly from the States. But, just because tactics differ does not mean there aren't design aspects United States fire departments can use on their next apparatus purchases. As Rod Carringer, chief marketing officer of Task Force Tips (TFT) , says, roll-up doors originally gained popularity in Europe before gaining traction in the United States. Today more and more apparatus are rolling off assembly lines with roll-up doors.

1 Task Force Tips introduced its IMPULSE nozzle to the global market at Interchutz 2015. The nozzle's trigger controller operates smoothly throughout the nozzle's rated flow and pressure range and allows operators to hold multiple valve positions at their discretion. (Photos by author unless otherwise noted.)

The show also represented proof that the United States fire service industry no longer confines itself to the States or even North America. Approximately 100 United States companies ranging from apparatus to apparatus components to equipment manufacturers displayed at the show. Some introduced new products for use in the States and abroad; some introduced products designed specifically to European standards; and some use Interschutz as a means of meeting with international customers and distributors. The show is truly a platform for a variety of purposes.

Product Introductions

In the category of bringing a new product already introduced in the States to the global market is the IMPULSE nozzle, by Task Force Tips. This product, which debuted at FDIC International 2015, was actually developed based on European firefighting tactics. "A lot about this trigger nozzle had to do with the European market specifically," says Carringer. "It's a lot about meeting the needs of our customers in the European market, especially the northern European market. [We] have talked about some of the tactical applications, where there are very quick little bursts of small droplets and trying not to disrupt the thermal balance in the room. A trigger does so much better than our traditional nozzle with the bail handle on top, where they'll very quickly try to pulse it to try to get those little droplets to come out. So, the IMPULSE nozzle was born from the European market."

2 The garment Fire-Dex had on display at Interschutz 2015 was the company's first manufactured to meet the EN-469 European standard.

Conversely, Fire-Dex used Interschutz as an opportunity to debut a line of personal protective clothing designed specifically to meet European standards. The garment