TEXAS DOUBLE LODD TRIAL CONTINUES:
From firefighterclosecalls.com
Ladder Belts, SOP's and The Death of Two Firefighters
Any LESSONS LEARNED here for all of us? Apparatus Manufacturers? Apparatus Dealers?
Kilgore Firefighters guiding the hands-on drills for their new ladder/platform truck in 2009 knew the operations manual told them to wear safety belts that could have saved two from a fatal fall, according to department testimony Monday in a suit against the truck's maker and retailer. Those safety belts, which harness a firefighter to the ladder platform, or bucket, had not been delivered with the 95-foot truck made by E-One. Meanwhile, safety belts sat idle in a ladder truck no longer in service, one officer testified. The suit, against E-One and retailer Hall-Mark Fire Apparatus-Texas, brought by the family of fallen Kilgore Fire Department Firefighter Kyle Perkins, who with fellow Fireman Cory Galloway, died in the Jan. 25, 2009, training exercise.
"I started slowly rotating over to the building," 26-year Kilgore Fire Department Instructor James Sanders described guiding the 18-square-foot platform above the rooftop lip of 8-story Stark Hall dormitory at Kilgore College.
Two four-FF crews had completed their training mission to achieve the roof of the city's tallest building. Leading the third group, Sanders was steering the platform, called a bucket, carrying Perkins, Galloway and Robert King.
He guided it to within 18-24 inches of the overhanging roof parapet, and he needed it to be nearer.
"It dropped rather suddenly," he recalled. "That's when it made contact with the wall."
Sanders testified to telling the men to stay calm and keep their weight steady.
"I looked over the front to see if I could see any obstruction," he said, describing the light touch, called feathering, he used on the hydraulic controls.
Sanders later testified he had operated hydraulics all his life, from his father's farm to construction work to a stint on a county roads crew.
He said he "feathered" the boom function, which bends like an elbow from the truck below.
"And nothing happened, it just sat there," Sanders said. "I feathered again, and shortly thereafter I was in the process of looking over (the front) again when it broke loose. All of a sudden, we were going backward."
The violent rocking that ensued pushed Galloway and Perkins outward through corner doors designed to open inward only. "Myself and Robert managed to stay in the bucket. ... It seemed like an eternity. I couldn't tell you how many forward and backward jerks it made. ... At some point, (King) was very close to the door, and I reached over and grabbed him back. Pretty much, in that time, we were in survival mode."
On Thursday, Doug Fleming, instructor for ladder truck maker E-One, also testified to neither using nor asking potential customers to use safety belts. Sanders and Capt. Kyle Huckabee both testified Monday they had never gone up in a platform ladder, in early sessions with the new one in 2008-09 or during sales demonstrations.
Neither the fire chief nor the mayor had worn a safety belt during a platform sales demonstration in 1988, Sanders said.
However, he also testified he included safety belts in the Standard Operating Procedures manual he wrote for a non-platform ladder truck purchased in 1989.
Huckabee testified the Standard Operating Procedures, or SOP, manual was being written for the new ladder/platform truck when the tragedy occurred.
Like Sanders, he said he knew of the safety belt instruction in the truck's operating manual. He said he did not know whether or not anyone had sought, before the fatal drill, to retrieve safety belts from a ladder-only truck that was out of service.
He also testified Kilgore city policy forbade putting equipment in service before an SOP is written, despite the new truck being used in a fire at Cancun Dave's restaurant weeks before the fatal training exercise. "At least, in that context," defense attorney Keith Slade told Huckabee, "the city of Kilgore failed to have an SOP in place before the equipment was placed in service. True enough?
"True enough," Huckabee agreed.
MORE HERE: http://tinyurl.com/cqko947
Real Kings of Logistics
Friday, May 11, 2012
Back to the basics
December 16, 2010
The Apparatus Bay
by FR1 Staff
http://www.firerescue1.com/fire-products/fire-apparatus/articles/921893-Back-to-the-basics/
Back to the basics
There are some important questions we need to ask ourselves in the coming year when designing a new fire apparatus
By FireRescue1 Staff
There have been many articles written on apparatus specifications in recent years. Remember, the best advice that you can follow is determining what is right for your department. The prices of custom fire apparatus have skyrocketed in recent times.
In 2010, the new NFPA-compliant engines have added to that cost, unless you were smart enough to pre-plan your purchase and order a vehicle before the year began or were able to get one of the stockpiled 2007 engines that some of the apparatus manufacturers had tucked away.
Regardless, the economy has played havoc with the fire service in general the past two years. The fire apparatus manufacturing industry has taken a 40 percent reduction in orders despite some enjoying large city orders and export deliveries.
Some of us are our own worst enemy. Sure, if the money is available why not order your new vehicle with twin Mars lights and Buck-Eye Rotor Rays. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy them as much as the next guy when it comes to added bells and whistles.
But I think because of the budget constraints overcoming all of us we are going to see a much more conservative approach when specing out options on new fire apparatus.
Will we see orders of custom fire trucks take a hit? Possibly, but I don't think that buying commercial chassis fire trucks is for everyone. Refurbing seems to be on the upswing, and the choice of downsizing vehicles for certain departments is also an added possibility.
Upward trend
Ordering a rescue pumper instead of a pumper and a separate heavy rescue vehicle has been an upward trend for the past few years. Doing more with less is becoming almost a necessity with the news of firefighter layoffs and station closures around the country.
Some important questions we need to ask ourselves in the coming year when designing a new vehicle include:
•Do we really need 2000gpm pumps on all our apparatus?
•Isn't a single stage pump going to give you enough water, especially if your response area is hydranted, and you don't need the added pressure for high-rise buildings?
•Do we really need a 500hp diesel engine if your response area is on level ground and only has to respond a few miles?
•Can you give up an engine and buy a quint if it doesn’t ruin your town's ISO Rating?
These are all questions you will have to ask your department's apparatus committee before you start writing your specs. These comments are only the tip of the iceberg.
Basic warning lights
Start with the basic warning lights that are required by NFPA 1901 — do you really need all of the extras that make the rig look good in a parade? How about hydraulic ladder racks — couldn't you just put the ladder back, low on the officer’s side, making it easy for everyone to reach?
Obviously you can't if you are specing a rescue pumper and you need high side compartments on both sides of the vehicle. But for a basic pumper it might not be a bad idea.
We are also seeing departments going back to the basics with hard wiring and manual gate valves, reducing costs and added maintenance problems.
Hopefully this article offers some food for thought. I bet if you think hard you can really come up with some more cost reductions when you think about what equipment you use and what you really need on your new engine, truck or heavy rescue.
The bottom line is to have your apparatus committee do some proper planning and keep within your budget means when designing your next vehicle.
About the author
The Apparatus Bay is a column section devoted to the fire truck industry, vehicle safety and the latest technology and vehicles. Articles are written by experts from across the industry. If there's a topic you'd like to see covered, or you are interested in writing for The Apparatus Bay, email editor@firerescue1.com.
The Apparatus Bay
by FR1 Staff
http://www.firerescue1.com/fire-products/fire-apparatus/articles/921893-Back-to-the-basics/
Back to the basics
There are some important questions we need to ask ourselves in the coming year when designing a new fire apparatus
By FireRescue1 Staff
There have been many articles written on apparatus specifications in recent years. Remember, the best advice that you can follow is determining what is right for your department. The prices of custom fire apparatus have skyrocketed in recent times.
In 2010, the new NFPA-compliant engines have added to that cost, unless you were smart enough to pre-plan your purchase and order a vehicle before the year began or were able to get one of the stockpiled 2007 engines that some of the apparatus manufacturers had tucked away.
Regardless, the economy has played havoc with the fire service in general the past two years. The fire apparatus manufacturing industry has taken a 40 percent reduction in orders despite some enjoying large city orders and export deliveries.
Some of us are our own worst enemy. Sure, if the money is available why not order your new vehicle with twin Mars lights and Buck-Eye Rotor Rays. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy them as much as the next guy when it comes to added bells and whistles.
But I think because of the budget constraints overcoming all of us we are going to see a much more conservative approach when specing out options on new fire apparatus.
Will we see orders of custom fire trucks take a hit? Possibly, but I don't think that buying commercial chassis fire trucks is for everyone. Refurbing seems to be on the upswing, and the choice of downsizing vehicles for certain departments is also an added possibility.
Upward trend
Ordering a rescue pumper instead of a pumper and a separate heavy rescue vehicle has been an upward trend for the past few years. Doing more with less is becoming almost a necessity with the news of firefighter layoffs and station closures around the country.
Some important questions we need to ask ourselves in the coming year when designing a new vehicle include:
•Do we really need 2000gpm pumps on all our apparatus?
•Isn't a single stage pump going to give you enough water, especially if your response area is hydranted, and you don't need the added pressure for high-rise buildings?
•Do we really need a 500hp diesel engine if your response area is on level ground and only has to respond a few miles?
•Can you give up an engine and buy a quint if it doesn’t ruin your town's ISO Rating?
These are all questions you will have to ask your department's apparatus committee before you start writing your specs. These comments are only the tip of the iceberg.
Basic warning lights
Start with the basic warning lights that are required by NFPA 1901 — do you really need all of the extras that make the rig look good in a parade? How about hydraulic ladder racks — couldn't you just put the ladder back, low on the officer’s side, making it easy for everyone to reach?
Obviously you can't if you are specing a rescue pumper and you need high side compartments on both sides of the vehicle. But for a basic pumper it might not be a bad idea.
We are also seeing departments going back to the basics with hard wiring and manual gate valves, reducing costs and added maintenance problems.
Hopefully this article offers some food for thought. I bet if you think hard you can really come up with some more cost reductions when you think about what equipment you use and what you really need on your new engine, truck or heavy rescue.
The bottom line is to have your apparatus committee do some proper planning and keep within your budget means when designing your next vehicle.
About the author
The Apparatus Bay is a column section devoted to the fire truck industry, vehicle safety and the latest technology and vehicles. Articles are written by experts from across the industry. If there's a topic you'd like to see covered, or you are interested in writing for The Apparatus Bay, email editor@firerescue1.com.
3 keys to preventing emergency vehicle rollover
May 10, 2012
3 keys to preventing emergency vehicle rollover
Knowledge of roads, vehicles, drivers are critical to safe arrival at emergency
By Sarah M. Smart
FireRescue1 Staff
http://www.firerescue1.com/fire-products/fire-apparatus/articles/1284688-Tips-to-prevent-emergency-vehicle-rollover/
News flash: Roads are not designed for large emergency vehicles. And rollovers, although preventable in many cases, are still a major cause of on-duty injuries and deaths.
While only 3 percent of emergency vehicle crashes are rollovers (single-vehicle accident where the rollover is the first harmful event), 33 percent of fatal crashes are. So what are the factors in rollovers, and how can we mitigate them so we arrive at every emergency safely?
The issues came under the spotlight during a session at Fire-Rescue Med, held by the IAFC's EMS section.
David Bradley, education specialist at VFIS, outlined how studies show the most common rollover circumstances:
1.Relative speed: Vehicle speed measured at any mph considered to be unsafe relative to the operating environment
2.Soft shoulder drop-off
3.Uneven surface drop-off with improper recovery
Following are three keys to vehicle safety.
The road
Most lane widths hover around 12 feet, giving typical 7- to 8-foot-wide fire apparatus and ambulances only about 2 feet of wiggle room on each side. That's not very much when you consider the challenges of driving large, heavy, boxy trucks to an emergency.
Also of note are shoulder conditions on the road. These have a significant impact on the driver's ability to recover from losing control. In order of best to worst for recovery, here are shoulder conditions to train for:
•Paved shoulder
•Unpaved hard shoulder with uneven drop-off
•Unpaved soft shoulder
•No shoulder
The vehicle
Thousands of pounds of EMS gear, water, ladders and other supplies are packed into emergency vehicles, placing a heavy load on each tire. So when a driver loses control, starts to run off the road (to the right, for example) and follows the natural instinct to jerk the wheel to the left, the already unsteady vehicle often tips to the right and rolls over.
The more top-heavy the vehicle, the more likely it is to roll over. SUVs, often used as QRVs, have the highest number of rollover incidents among emergency vehicles. Ambulances place second, and tankers come in third.
The driver
The operator of the fire truck or ambulance is the most important piece of the rollover puzzle. Driver error, often as a result of inexperience and/or lack of training, is the single most significant factor in rollover crashes.
Human aspects, such as maturity, physical condition and even the ability to control one's emotions are as critical to safe driving as acquired abilities, like driving record and specific emergency vehicle driver training.
Training and experience are of critical importance to overcome instinct, Bradley said.
"We've got to get those mental seeds planted of what we should do," he said.
The takeaway
If you are driving an ambulance or a fire truck and find yourself on the brink of a rollover:
•Do not apply full braking: Take your foot off the gas or downshift when appropriate to allow the vehicle to slow down gradually. If you must brake, do so softly
•Stop or slow down before correcting: Then gently steer the vehicle back onto the road surface in a low gear with feathered acceleration if you must overcome a drop-off
•Don't jerk the wheel: Trying to return to the road surface quickly increases the risk of rollover
Some tips to drive more safely and reduce rollover:
•Slow down: Pay attention to speed limit signs, and keep the vehicle at or below speed, especially during inclement weather. While response times are a concern, larger vehicles need more time to slow down in the event of a sudden obstacle, and you definitely can't do your job if you never make it to the call
•Buckle up: Always use your seatbelt. Most rollover fatalities are from ejections. "The seatbelt keeps the operator in the seat and in contact with the brake, accelerator and steering wheel," Bradley said.
•"Put the right person in the left seat": While youthful drivers may have quicker reactions, they could lack driving experience and the right amount of emotional control. Middle-aged drivers may have good experience but might not be too concerned with skill maintenance. Finally, mature drivers may be cautious and experienced but may have illnesses or declining physical abilities that could keep them from driving safely and effectively. The ideal driver will have no Class A driving violations and fewer than two Class B violations in the past three years
•Train: We train for so many other safety concerns, so why should driving emergency vehicles be any different? SOPs should address intersection approach, backing guidelines, driver responsibilities and more. All drivers need to be trained to understand the relevant laws and legal liabilities, and they need continuing and ongoing refresher training, both in the classroom and behind the wheel
More information on emergency vehicle rollovers and driver training can be found through VFIS.
3 keys to preventing emergency vehicle rollover
Knowledge of roads, vehicles, drivers are critical to safe arrival at emergency
By Sarah M. Smart
FireRescue1 Staff
http://www.firerescue1.com/fire-products/fire-apparatus/articles/1284688-Tips-to-prevent-emergency-vehicle-rollover/
News flash: Roads are not designed for large emergency vehicles. And rollovers, although preventable in many cases, are still a major cause of on-duty injuries and deaths.
While only 3 percent of emergency vehicle crashes are rollovers (single-vehicle accident where the rollover is the first harmful event), 33 percent of fatal crashes are. So what are the factors in rollovers, and how can we mitigate them so we arrive at every emergency safely?
The issues came under the spotlight during a session at Fire-Rescue Med, held by the IAFC's EMS section.
David Bradley, education specialist at VFIS, outlined how studies show the most common rollover circumstances:
1.Relative speed: Vehicle speed measured at any mph considered to be unsafe relative to the operating environment
2.Soft shoulder drop-off
3.Uneven surface drop-off with improper recovery
Following are three keys to vehicle safety.
The road
Most lane widths hover around 12 feet, giving typical 7- to 8-foot-wide fire apparatus and ambulances only about 2 feet of wiggle room on each side. That's not very much when you consider the challenges of driving large, heavy, boxy trucks to an emergency.
Also of note are shoulder conditions on the road. These have a significant impact on the driver's ability to recover from losing control. In order of best to worst for recovery, here are shoulder conditions to train for:
•Paved shoulder
•Unpaved hard shoulder with uneven drop-off
•Unpaved soft shoulder
•No shoulder
The vehicle
Thousands of pounds of EMS gear, water, ladders and other supplies are packed into emergency vehicles, placing a heavy load on each tire. So when a driver loses control, starts to run off the road (to the right, for example) and follows the natural instinct to jerk the wheel to the left, the already unsteady vehicle often tips to the right and rolls over.
The more top-heavy the vehicle, the more likely it is to roll over. SUVs, often used as QRVs, have the highest number of rollover incidents among emergency vehicles. Ambulances place second, and tankers come in third.
The driver
The operator of the fire truck or ambulance is the most important piece of the rollover puzzle. Driver error, often as a result of inexperience and/or lack of training, is the single most significant factor in rollover crashes.
Human aspects, such as maturity, physical condition and even the ability to control one's emotions are as critical to safe driving as acquired abilities, like driving record and specific emergency vehicle driver training.
Training and experience are of critical importance to overcome instinct, Bradley said.
"We've got to get those mental seeds planted of what we should do," he said.
The takeaway
If you are driving an ambulance or a fire truck and find yourself on the brink of a rollover:
•Do not apply full braking: Take your foot off the gas or downshift when appropriate to allow the vehicle to slow down gradually. If you must brake, do so softly
•Stop or slow down before correcting: Then gently steer the vehicle back onto the road surface in a low gear with feathered acceleration if you must overcome a drop-off
•Don't jerk the wheel: Trying to return to the road surface quickly increases the risk of rollover
Some tips to drive more safely and reduce rollover:
•Slow down: Pay attention to speed limit signs, and keep the vehicle at or below speed, especially during inclement weather. While response times are a concern, larger vehicles need more time to slow down in the event of a sudden obstacle, and you definitely can't do your job if you never make it to the call
•Buckle up: Always use your seatbelt. Most rollover fatalities are from ejections. "The seatbelt keeps the operator in the seat and in contact with the brake, accelerator and steering wheel," Bradley said.
•"Put the right person in the left seat": While youthful drivers may have quicker reactions, they could lack driving experience and the right amount of emotional control. Middle-aged drivers may have good experience but might not be too concerned with skill maintenance. Finally, mature drivers may be cautious and experienced but may have illnesses or declining physical abilities that could keep them from driving safely and effectively. The ideal driver will have no Class A driving violations and fewer than two Class B violations in the past three years
•Train: We train for so many other safety concerns, so why should driving emergency vehicles be any different? SOPs should address intersection approach, backing guidelines, driver responsibilities and more. All drivers need to be trained to understand the relevant laws and legal liabilities, and they need continuing and ongoing refresher training, both in the classroom and behind the wheel
More information on emergency vehicle rollovers and driver training can be found through VFIS.
The Quint: a unique and still misunderstood fire truck
May 10, 2012
Product News
by Robert Avsec
http://www.firerescue1.com/fire-products/fire-apparatus/articles/1284742-The-Quint-a-unique-and-still-misunderstood-fire-truck/
Neither a jack of all trades nor a master of none, the quint will fill specific needs
By Robert Avsec
It's probably safe to say that there are many firefighters and officers who consider the quintuple combination pumper, or the quint, to be the "centaur" of fire apparatus: part engine and part truck.
Since the German-based fire and rescue apparatus manufacturer, Metz Aerials, obtained the first patent for a quintuple combination pumper in 1912 — American LaFrance and Seagrave began to produce quints in the 1930s and 40s respectively — the idea of a "five-tool" piece of fire apparatus has been a controversial subject.
So where does the controversy originate?
Back in 2009, Robert Rielage, Chief of the Wyoming (Ohio) Fire-EMS department, a 78-member combination fire department bordering Cincinnati, wrote, "The modern quint … has been described by some as a fire truck designed by a city manager who thought four firefighters could do all the work of both an engine and ladder crew from a single apparatus."
Fire chiefs who share Chief Rielage's sentiments point out that if you have only three or four people on the quint that you have the function of either a truck crew or an engine crew at a fire, but not both.
A leading proponent for the use of the quint is Neil Svetanics, the former chief of the St. Louis Fire Department. In 1987, Svetanics standardized all the apparatus in the city as quints and in 1999 ordered 34 new quints, replacing the city's fleet.
Svetanics' rationale for his unconventional thinking was really pretty simple: he needed a vehicle that would provide the most services at a time of reduced budgets.
Quint by definition
Before this discussion goes any further, let's make sure that we're talking about the same animal. Today's quint is designed to provide five tools for firefighters to carry out these tactical firefighting functions:
•Supply fires streams (pump and hoses);
•Provide initial and continuing water supply (pump, water tank, and hoses)
•Provide personnel with access to elevated areas (ground ladder complement and aerial device)
•Provide elevated master fire stream (pump, hose, and aerial device)
The National Fire Protection Association outlines the requirements for a piece of apparatus necessary to function as a quint in NPFA Standard 1901, The Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus. Here is a summary of the quint requirements as detailed in Chapter 9 of the standard:
•Fire pump with a minimum capacity of 1,000 gallons per minute
•Water tank with a minimum capacity of 300 gallons
•Aerial ladder or elevating platform with a permanently installed waterway
•Hose storage area with a minimum of 30 cubic feet of storage area capable of accommodating 2.5 inch or larger fire hose; two hose storage areas, each with a minimum of 3.5 cubic feet or 1.5 inch or pre-connected hose lines.
•Enclosed compartments with a minimum of 40 cubic feet for equipment storage
•Complement of ground ladders containing a minimum of 85 feet of ground ladders, including at least: two extension ladders, one roof ladder and one attic ladder
•Suction hose of a minimum of 15 feet of soft suction hose or 20 feet of hard suction hose for drafting water.
Though the quint has now been around for 100 years, like all types of fire apparatus it has evolved along with new technologies. Today's quints are in many ways smaller, lighter and more agile than their predecessors. This is due to many influences, such as diesel engines, single-stage pumps, all-wheel steering, improved hydraulic systems (aerial device) and improved braking systems.
Yesterday's large, tandem-axle quints, are now more maneuverable on the road and fireground because of shorter wheelbases made possible by eliminating the second axle.
What it can do
So why would a department's leadership consider adding a quint to their department's capabilities? There are many needs that a quint can address.
Staff shortages. Rather than under-staffing both a truck and an engine with a crew of less than four personnel — the optimal number for safe, efficient and effective firefighting operations — staff a quint with a four-person crew.
•Funding cuts. The cost of a quint is less than the combined cost of an engine and truck. A quint has the tactical capabilities of both apparatus available, but through the purchase of one vehicle. (Point of emphasis: The tactical capabilities are available, but even with a four-person complement of staffing, the quint and its crew can perform either engine company or truck company functions, but not simultaneously).
•Need for some aerial capablities. The quint with a 75-foot elevating device is the most popular model in the United States today because its reach can meet the operational needs for a wide variety of departments.
•Need for a smaller vehicle with an elevated master streams. Older cities and towns have narrow streets with tight turning radiuses; newer cities and suburban areas are experiencing growth of the neo-classic community, that is, new construction that seeks to emulate the most positive features of older cities and towns. Quints come in a variety of sizes and configurations; all-wheel steering and other mechanical innovations provide more maneuverability for today's quints as well. For example, by positioning a quint on Side C of a structure with a narrow alley, the incident commander would have both engine and truck tactical capabilities available in that area.
•The need for lighter vehicles. Once again, the variety of sizes and configurations and weight can provide fire service leaders with an apparatus option for areas with infrastructural constraints, such as old bridges. Quints can also reduce the overall number of apparatus necessary to cross residential bridges or traverse long access roads to reach more remote homes and property.
About the author
Battalion Chief Robert Avsec (Ret.) served with the Chesterfield (Va.) Fire & EMS Department for 26 years. He was an active instructor for fire, EMS, and hazardous materials courses at the local, state, and federal levels, which included more than 10 years with the National Fire Academy. Chief Avsec earned his bachelor of science degree from the University of Cincinnati and his master of science degree in executive fire service leadership from Grand Canyon University. He is a 2001 graduate of the National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer Program. Since his retirement in 2007, he has continued to be a life-long learner working in both the private and public sectors to further develop his "management sciences mechanic" credentials. He makes his home in Alexandria, Virginia.
Product News
by Robert Avsec
http://www.firerescue1.com/fire-products/fire-apparatus/articles/1284742-The-Quint-a-unique-and-still-misunderstood-fire-truck/
Neither a jack of all trades nor a master of none, the quint will fill specific needs
By Robert Avsec
It's probably safe to say that there are many firefighters and officers who consider the quintuple combination pumper, or the quint, to be the "centaur" of fire apparatus: part engine and part truck.
Since the German-based fire and rescue apparatus manufacturer, Metz Aerials, obtained the first patent for a quintuple combination pumper in 1912 — American LaFrance and Seagrave began to produce quints in the 1930s and 40s respectively — the idea of a "five-tool" piece of fire apparatus has been a controversial subject.
So where does the controversy originate?
Back in 2009, Robert Rielage, Chief of the Wyoming (Ohio) Fire-EMS department, a 78-member combination fire department bordering Cincinnati, wrote, "The modern quint … has been described by some as a fire truck designed by a city manager who thought four firefighters could do all the work of both an engine and ladder crew from a single apparatus."
Fire chiefs who share Chief Rielage's sentiments point out that if you have only three or four people on the quint that you have the function of either a truck crew or an engine crew at a fire, but not both.
A leading proponent for the use of the quint is Neil Svetanics, the former chief of the St. Louis Fire Department. In 1987, Svetanics standardized all the apparatus in the city as quints and in 1999 ordered 34 new quints, replacing the city's fleet.
Svetanics' rationale for his unconventional thinking was really pretty simple: he needed a vehicle that would provide the most services at a time of reduced budgets.
Quint by definition
Before this discussion goes any further, let's make sure that we're talking about the same animal. Today's quint is designed to provide five tools for firefighters to carry out these tactical firefighting functions:
•Supply fires streams (pump and hoses);
•Provide initial and continuing water supply (pump, water tank, and hoses)
•Provide personnel with access to elevated areas (ground ladder complement and aerial device)
•Provide elevated master fire stream (pump, hose, and aerial device)
The National Fire Protection Association outlines the requirements for a piece of apparatus necessary to function as a quint in NPFA Standard 1901, The Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus. Here is a summary of the quint requirements as detailed in Chapter 9 of the standard:
•Fire pump with a minimum capacity of 1,000 gallons per minute
•Water tank with a minimum capacity of 300 gallons
•Aerial ladder or elevating platform with a permanently installed waterway
•Hose storage area with a minimum of 30 cubic feet of storage area capable of accommodating 2.5 inch or larger fire hose; two hose storage areas, each with a minimum of 3.5 cubic feet or 1.5 inch or pre-connected hose lines.
•Enclosed compartments with a minimum of 40 cubic feet for equipment storage
•Complement of ground ladders containing a minimum of 85 feet of ground ladders, including at least: two extension ladders, one roof ladder and one attic ladder
•Suction hose of a minimum of 15 feet of soft suction hose or 20 feet of hard suction hose for drafting water.
Though the quint has now been around for 100 years, like all types of fire apparatus it has evolved along with new technologies. Today's quints are in many ways smaller, lighter and more agile than their predecessors. This is due to many influences, such as diesel engines, single-stage pumps, all-wheel steering, improved hydraulic systems (aerial device) and improved braking systems.
Yesterday's large, tandem-axle quints, are now more maneuverable on the road and fireground because of shorter wheelbases made possible by eliminating the second axle.
What it can do
So why would a department's leadership consider adding a quint to their department's capabilities? There are many needs that a quint can address.
Staff shortages. Rather than under-staffing both a truck and an engine with a crew of less than four personnel — the optimal number for safe, efficient and effective firefighting operations — staff a quint with a four-person crew.
•Funding cuts. The cost of a quint is less than the combined cost of an engine and truck. A quint has the tactical capabilities of both apparatus available, but through the purchase of one vehicle. (Point of emphasis: The tactical capabilities are available, but even with a four-person complement of staffing, the quint and its crew can perform either engine company or truck company functions, but not simultaneously).
•Need for some aerial capablities. The quint with a 75-foot elevating device is the most popular model in the United States today because its reach can meet the operational needs for a wide variety of departments.
•Need for a smaller vehicle with an elevated master streams. Older cities and towns have narrow streets with tight turning radiuses; newer cities and suburban areas are experiencing growth of the neo-classic community, that is, new construction that seeks to emulate the most positive features of older cities and towns. Quints come in a variety of sizes and configurations; all-wheel steering and other mechanical innovations provide more maneuverability for today's quints as well. For example, by positioning a quint on Side C of a structure with a narrow alley, the incident commander would have both engine and truck tactical capabilities available in that area.
•The need for lighter vehicles. Once again, the variety of sizes and configurations and weight can provide fire service leaders with an apparatus option for areas with infrastructural constraints, such as old bridges. Quints can also reduce the overall number of apparatus necessary to cross residential bridges or traverse long access roads to reach more remote homes and property.
About the author
Battalion Chief Robert Avsec (Ret.) served with the Chesterfield (Va.) Fire & EMS Department for 26 years. He was an active instructor for fire, EMS, and hazardous materials courses at the local, state, and federal levels, which included more than 10 years with the National Fire Academy. Chief Avsec earned his bachelor of science degree from the University of Cincinnati and his master of science degree in executive fire service leadership from Grand Canyon University. He is a 2001 graduate of the National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer Program. Since his retirement in 2007, he has continued to be a life-long learner working in both the private and public sectors to further develop his "management sciences mechanic" credentials. He makes his home in Alexandria, Virginia.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Check Your Expiration Dates
Here is a link to a Gordan Graham tip on checking the expiration dates. A majority of the supplies and equipment we use have an expiration date associated with them. Please make it part of your normal checks to verify that the item is within its required dates.
http://www.lexipol.com/check-equipment-exipration-date-t-13.html
http://www.lexipol.com/check-equipment-exipration-date-t-13.html
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