Alan M. Petrillo

The Bossier City (LA) Fire Department had purchased pumpers and a quint from Ferrara Fire Apparatus in the past, so it was only natural for it to turn to Ferrara to build a 100-foot midmount aerial platform quint to replace an aging platform that would be moved into reserve status.

Steve Pennell, deputy chief for the Bossier City Fire Department, says the department had purchased eight pumpers and a quint from Ferrara to staff its nine stations that have to cover 41 square miles. "Our 13-year-old platform that was going into reserve is a 100-foot midmount," Pennell says. "Our previous chief had been buying vehicles from Ferrara, and when Chief (Brad) Zagone took over the department in 2011, we sat down with them and took a look at their aerial platforms. We liked what we saw in terms of quality, plus the fact the trucks are built in our state and are on state contract."

The Bossier City (LA) Fire Department had Ferrara Fire Apparatus build this 100- foot midmount aerial platform quint to complement its eight Ferrara pumpers, a Ferrara 77-foot quint, and two Sutphen 75-foot aerial ladder quints. (Photos courtesy of Ferrara Fire Apparatus.)

Multiple Response Types

Pennell noted that Bossier City's aerial platform quint runs on all fire calls in the city with a heavy rescue unit, and both vehicles are housed in the department's central station. "Barksdale Air Force Base is in the middle of the city, so we have areas we have to protect to the north and south of the Air Force base," he says. "Our platform gets a lot of use because it runs on all fire operations calls, plus special operations calls like rope rescue, hazardous materials, and trench rescue. It also has to protect four riverboat casinos with high-rise hotels."

The Ferrara platform is outfitted to handle special operations and rescues, Pennell points out, being fitted with a rappelling arm that swings out from the bucket and can handle a load of up to 500 pounds, a Stokes bracket for securing a patient on the platform, and a bracket to secure a parapet ladder.

The Ferrara HD 100 aerial platform quint has specialized rescue equipment on the platform, including a rappelling arm, Stokes bracket, and parapet ladder bracket, in addition to two Elkhart Brass 1,000-gpm monitors.

As a quint, the 100-foot aerial platform has a Hale QMAX 2,000-gallon-per-minute single-stage pump; a 300-gallon water tank; two preconnects, each with 200 feet of 1¾-inch hose; a full complement of ground ladders; and a hosebed carrying 1,000 feet of five-inch large-diameter hose. The aerial device is a five-section steel ladder that has blue LED lightin