Chris Mc Loone

The last time we had it out was for our 100th anniversary, and it has become obvious that there aren't many fire company members left who actually know how to put this thing together.

So, a few of us younger members went through the process, and hopefully in another 10 years when we bring it out again we won't be shaking our heads trying to figure out how all the parts fit together. Yes, we have considered leaving it together, but our firehouse doesn't really have the space to do so.

This hose reel isn't actually the one we purchased originally, but it's a match. Last month, I mentioned how purchasing our hose reel nearly depleted our funds back in 1904. I did some checking, and our treasury dropped to $0.75 after we paid for it. But, the company kept moving forward, continued to raise funds, and purchased 500 feet of hose for the cart's reel shortly thereafter. This was October 1904, six months after the fire company's founding. And, it wasn't until February 1905 that that we responded with the new hose reel to its first fire.

Once we had the reel assembled, I went to the hose tower to get the hose that goes with it. I brought the first length back and asked the group, mostly younger members, what the coupling at the end of the hose is called. Sadly, no one knew about Jones Snaps, and it's been years since I actually had a Jones Snap key, so that history was lost on them. It's hard to appreciate how great threaded couplings are until you've struggled with the Jones Snaps.

When I was fact finding about the cost of the reel and how it affected our fire company's bottom line, something struck me. We live in a time when fire apparatus costs are in the hundreds of thousands, not $110 like in 1904. I've discussed here how some departments serve their communities with 35-year-old apparatus out of necessity. Sometimes, a truck this age may even be the newest apparatus a department owns. In other communities, the apparatus is newer, but it's still a struggle sometimes to secure funds for replacement. In large municipalities, getting approval to replace an aging apparatus is more challenging than ever. But, none of this is new. Apparatus purchasing has never been an easy process, and it probably never will be.

I read a short item on a Web site recently about a new apparatus purchase. The company that submitted the new delivery was understandably proud of the truck it just built. It makes sense-we are all proud of the finished product after all the work we put into planning a new rig. The fire company worked with an outside consultant, the apparatus manufacturer, and its own purchasing committee and ended up saving approximately $50,000 on items and equipment for the truck. In today's purchasing climate, that is a significant savings.

As I sit down with my fellow purchasing committee members to plan our next rescue truck, I realize it is no different than in 1904. Back then, we had a committee; it researched options, presented them to the company, got approval to make the purchase, and shortly thereafter it equipped the reel. The process is the same today, and with some hard work, we can build functional apparatus and save some money.

I think a bit of hard work on the specification end of the process, previous purchasing experiences, and a decent needs vs. wants exercise all go a long way toward easing the process. But, here's one more.

By Alan M. Petrillo

Fire apparatus manufacturers often are confronted with designing a variety of different configurations when they locate hydraulic rescue tools on rescues, pumpers, and even aerials. Some locations manufacturers have used include in an extended front bumper, dual installations on each side of the vehicle, single side mounts, transverse trays, in the rear compartment of a rig, and even putting some system elements on the top of a vehicle.

Ergonomics

Trapper Meadors, sales engineer for Precision Fire Apparatus, says that whether the hydraulic tool setup is in a walk-in rescue, walk-around, mini rescue, or pumper, ergonomics is the most important consideration along with space requirements. "We like to let the department firefighters come in and get their hands on the truck and their tools to see where they can best be placed," Meadors says. "Usually you want to see the heavy tools mounted down low and the lighter equipment up higher in a compartment. Very often, departments will choose to use slide-out trays to give easier access to their hydraulic tools."

Meadors notes that most departments are putting in simo pumps that can efficiently power two hydraulic tools at the same time but that others are choosing trimo pumps to handle three tools and quad pumps to allow the use of four tools simultaneously. "On some full-size rescues, we'll do a full complement off both the left and right sides of the vehicle," he adds. "On a mini rescue, we might locate the tools on a slide-out tray at the back of the vehicle."

Bill Proft, director of engineering for cab, chassis, and electrical platforms at Pierce Manufacturing Inc., echoes Meadors's philosophy about ergonomics being very important when locating hydraulic tools. "These tools aren't lightweight; even a 50-pound tool can be difficult to handle if lifted from shoulder or head height," Proft says. "Keeping tools down low on a utility tray is important so the tools are easy and comfortable to lift."

1 Precision Fire Apparatus configured this hydraulic rescue tool compartment for the Pleasant Hills (PA) Fire Department, featuring three color-coded hydraulic hose reels and three preconnected tools. (Photo courtesy of Precision Fire Apparatus.)

Location, Location, Location

Bob Sorensen, vice president of SVI Trucks, says he's seen the gamut of hydraulic tool installations on fire vehicles. "We've put them on the left and right sides, both sides, off the rear, and off the front of trucks," Sorensen says. "For instance, we recently built a rescue for the North Washington (CO) Fire Department, which runs a lot of interstate rescue work, and set the truck up with hydraulic tools-spreader, cutter, and ram-in compartments on both sides of the vehicle. Because they sometimes put the truck nearly perpendicular to the roadway to block the traffic flow, we installed two five-foot-long Whelen arrow sticks on each side of the body."

Sorensen says that SVI has set up rescues with hydraulic compartments on each side of the vehicle but sometimes only with a cutter on one side and a spreader on the other, with a ram in each compartment. "A configuration like that gives them the ability to work off both sides of the rescue without the cost of a duplicate set of tools," he says.

Sometimes, special circumstances dictate what has to be designed into a hydraulic rescue compartment, Sorensen points out. "In Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada, they have a cold climate and run long calls in subzero temperatures," he

3LS Inc. Helmet Mount One (HM1) is a helmet mounting system that can mount nearly any small flashlight, bullet camera, or tool to a helmet. Its low profile reduces entanglement potential, and the HM1 is available in three colors: black, red, and silver. The HM1 fits items ranging from ¼ to 1½ inches in diameter. It also allows the user to remove the light from the helmet to use as a hand light. Firefighters can mount the lights above or below the helmet's brim or even to the front or back. The HM1 can be used in conjunction with a Streamlight® PolyTac® 90 to shine light where it is critical to see. Adjust it by rotating it up or down. Front mounting is suitable for extrication applications or starting an IV in low-light conditions. The HM1's two-inch-wide aluminum platform provides a solid contact point with a helmet. www.gutsforlife.com, 860-866-6396

Ziamatic Corp. (Zico) Ladder Access System, Extend Down, Model LAS-XT combines Zico's LAS ladder rack design with a new, patented cable-and-pulley system capable of raising and lowering ladders an additional 12 inches for quick, easy, and safe retrieval from high apparatus shelves. Mounting the LAS-XT to an apparatus high shelf allows for more compartment space in the side body underneath. Mounting to a standard shelf makes ladder retrieval even easier for shorter personnel. Two self-contained hydraulic actuators provide increased strength and reliability and create a more even, parallel operating motion. The rugged, cast aluminum system sustains a maximum load of 300 pounds and can accommodate additional accessories such as hard sleeves, pike poles, and folding ladders. It works with both new and existing apparatus. www.ziamatic.com, 800-711-FIRE

Kochek Company Storz Installation Tool speeds and simplifies hydrant conversion bushings installation when converting existing threaded fire hydrants to quick quarter-turn Storz connections. Requiring only basic tools like a ½-inch drive ratcheting socket, pliers, wrenches, and a drill, hydrant conversions can now be completed with precision in just minutes. The hydrant conversion process, a 10-minute field retrofit, involves replacing standard threaded fire hydrant connections with quarter-turn Storz connections. After conversion, fire departments can quickly and easily attach Storz equipment directly to the hydrant. www.kochek.com, 800-420-4673

Code 3®, Inc. Banshee™ Amplifier System offers a selection of tones, features, and options in one siren amp system: three low-frequency tones, multiple dual tones, and a true sounding electronic air horn. The Banshee can work with virtually any siren system already on the market and can be retrofitted to any emergency vehicle already on the road. When setting up the Banshee, dual tones can be configured in multiple combinations-for example, dual wail, dual yelp, wail, and Command Alert™. The air horn can also be selected to work with each primary tone without turning that tone off. Low-frequency tones can be generated in conjunction with the siren currently on a department's vehicle. Select from one of three settings: primary at ½ frequency, low-frequency

PIERCE MANUFACTURING placed a Pierce® mobile command vehicle into service with the city of Fremont, California. Built on a Pierce Velocity™ custom chassis, the apparatus addresses a wide range of emergency response needs of both the Fremont Fire and Police Departments. It was acquired through funding from an urban area security initiative (UASI) grant. The Pierce Velocity custom chassis features a DD13 450-hp engine, a 274-inch wheelbase, a Command Zone™ advanced electronics system, and an automatic leveling and stabilizing system. The two-door cab offers a 34.5-foot mobile command body with an 85.75-inch interior walkway height and three slide-out modules to increase workspace.

Interior highlights include six workstations, a comprehensive satellite data network, dual wireless modems, a radio dispatch system, and an IP-based telephone network. An A/V system is linked to 27 monitors located throughout the vehicle. The A/V system is managed by a matrix switcher, with five remote keypads that allow individual monitor display control from each keypad. To extend on-scene capabilities, the apparatus is equipped with complete galley and lavatory accommodations.

THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION (NFPA) AND THE UNITED KINGDOM'S FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION (FPA) have announced a formalized relationship to use the NFPA's codes and standards in the FPA's property risk management education and certification program. The program will provide insurance risk engineers with technical knowledge needed to assess property risk from fire and natural hazards alongside key principles of loss potential estimation, business loss mitigation, and business continuity. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the two organizations will serve as the framework of cooperation between the FPA and the NFPA through which NFPA codes and standards will be a significant part of the program's curriculum. To help develop the program, the FPA will use the NFPA's Fire Code, and the NFPA will provide select technical review of training materials.

SMEAL FIRE APPARATUS CO. unveiled its new CORE rescue-pumper. The CORE incorporates the new Smeal S450 Chassis and the OMNI pump system. The S450 features a variety of options including a 450-hp Cummins ISL engine, 4,100-square-inch windshield for greater visibility, high mounted air intake to prevent water from entering the turbo, electrical V-Mux and Class 1 ES-Key Multiplex, a heavy-duty 72,000-Btu air conditioner, and raised roof options starting at eight inches that can be increased up to 24 inches in one-inch increments. The S450 also features an air bag system and exceeds NFPA 1901, Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus, requirements for safety.

The OMNI pump system is a multipositional panel that can be placed virtually anywhere on the truck. Weighing less than five pounds, the panel is easy to remove and place in a location on the truck, keeping the pump operator in a safe location and enabling him to fully view the scene. The OMNI can control not only the pumps and valves but also the monitor, scene lights, truck-mounted cameras, generator, and air horn and check on water and foam levels.

HME AHRENS-FOX has announced that its newest sales and service dealership is Emergency Apparatus Design (EAD). The company is based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and will be covering the Southeastern Pennsylvania area. "With EAD having over 10 years of experience selling apparatus within our industry, we are very pleased they joined the HME family as our fourth dealership for the state of Pennsylvania," says Mitch Willoughby, HME sales di