A new fire truck has been added to the Wellman Fire fleet, KCIIRadio.com reported.

After a year of committee deliberation, the Wellman Volunteer Fire Department chose a new Freightliner commercial cab with a rescue body. This new fire truck replaces one that has been in service since 1994, the report said.

Fundraising for a new truck has been a department project for over 30 years. The truck itself cost $320,000, with an additional $50,000 in equipment costs.

The cab of the truck can accommodate four people instead of two. It includes built-in seats with air packs for firefighters who need to enter buildings. The new truck has a 1,000-gallon tank instead of the previous truck’s 750-gallon tank, with easier access to the pump and the pumping process. Foam can now be transported on board rather than in another truck. The exterior lights are now brighter, better and easier to see on the outside, the report said.

The truck has a more advanced design overall, but its easier use enables the Wellman Fire Department to work in tandem with the other departments, according to the report.  

By Bill Adams

There are nine domestic manufacturers of custom cabs and chassis for the fire service. Four are owned by one corporation. None were formally asked to participate in this narration, nor were manufacturers that fabricate “raw” custom cabs for apparatus manufacturers, nor were the manufacturers of complete commercial cabs and chassis used by the fire service.

Five years ago, my article “Apparatus Purchasing: Custom Cabs Part 2, the Safety Standards” in Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment” (March 2017) addressed safety standards applicable to fire apparatus custom cabs and chassis. In it, questions were raised worthy of further discussion. That time is now.

Fire apparatus crash testing is a serious topic deserving serious attention. It addresses occupant survivability in a fire apparatus cab that may be involved in an accident. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1901, Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus, does not address crash testing in depth. As an example, NFPA 1901, Chapter 14, Driving and Crew Areas, Section 14.3 devotes almost 1,300 words, several illustrations, and a chart to “seat belts” and only 91 words to the crashworthiness of the apparatus cabs—including the tiller cab on tractor-drawn aerial ladders (TDAs).

It is frustrating not to receive straight answers when asking simple questions. Over the years, my questions posed to fire service vendors about crash testing should have elicited yes, no, or I don’t know answers. Some resulted in a 20-minute obfuscation resulting in total confusion and bewilderment. Obfuscate means to obscure, disguise, or even conceal. In firehouse talk, it means to beat around the bush. Some vendors dodged answering. Others did not know the answers but would not admit it. There are times when simple answers may need clarification, but not all the time and not always about the same subject.

NFPA 1901

It is disingenuous to claim crash testing exceeds the NFPA’s level of expertise. The 30 members of its Technical Committee on Fire Department Apparatus cannot be expected to be “experts” on every facet, nut, and bolt of fire truck construction and operation. Consequently, it references almost 100 publications and standards promulgated by numerous professional organizations. NFPA 1901, Chapter 2, Referenced Publications, sentence 2.1: “The documents or portions thereof listed in this chapter are referenced within this standard and shall be considered part of the requirements of this document.”

Fire departments should acknowledge and respect the NFPA’s willingness and commitment to seek outside expertise. However, both the NFPA and the manufacturers that must comply with 1901 should be capable of answering basic questions about its requirements. Manufacturers ought to know what they are required to “comply” with.

NFPA 1901, Section 4.3, Driving Compartment denotes the “standards” cabs have to meet but does not say why. Addressing the “survivability” of firefighters in the event of a crash warrants some mention.

Crash Testing Standards

The research and accumulation of data pertaining to survivability in vehicles with more than a 26,000-pound gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) ha

Firefighters with the Anna Fire and Rescue Department wanted to show their community a new fire truck they recently acquired, KFVS12.com reported.

The event gave an opportunity for the public to view and interact with the new fire apparatus and talk with firefighters, the report said.

The city council recently approved the new fire truck for the fire station to help out firefighters with newer equipment. The new truck replaces a 37-year-old truck, the report said.

The Green Valley Fire District welcomed the newest addition to its fleet this week with a little help from the community, GVNews.com reported.

Crews officially put a new ladder truck into service September 15, following a traditional push-in ceremony to christen the engine, the report said. The ceremonial apparatus push-in dates to the 1800s, when firefighters relied on horse-drawn equipment.

In honor of those early crews, many fire departments host their own push-in ceremony to mark the arrival of a new apparatus, and invite the community to join in celebrating the moment their tax dollars made possible.

The new engine – which cost the district a little under $900,000, including all the tools, technology and equipment on-board – was part of a $13 million bond initiative approved by Green Valley voters by more than a 97% margin in November 2020, according to the report. The new engine is expected to last 20 years.

That older engine, which served the Green Valley area for 24 years, will be transferred to Drexel Heights Fire District and will be available for reserve use if needed by GVFD, the report said.