June 2007
The Time Has Come To Start Thinking Small
by Bob Barraclough
Ever heard a firefighter say that his rig was too big and unwieldy to negotiate normal traffic? In a major U.S. city, that was the excuse given by a department for an increase in response times and accident rates.
For most of my 48 years in and around the fire service, I have seen pumpers grow from simple three seat, 750 gpm, 200-gallon tank units to today’s giants with a 2,000 gpm pump, a 1,000-gallon tank, a Class A foam system, a 10-person cab, and the capability of carrying 3,000 feet of 5-inch hose, generating enough electricity for 10 households and enough equipment storage for all the fire fighting gear plus a mobile emergency room’s worth of medical supplies and gadgets.
If you think about it, there is merit in both types of trucks. The older ones were simple enough for almost anyone to operate and maintain, were small enough to get in the back alleys and carried enough hose and basic equipment to do the job. Yes, they were perfectly capable of getting “the wet stuff on the red stuff!”
Today, with the wheelbases of engines approaching those of aerial ladders, side compartments higher than a professional basketball player can reach, so many compartments that you need a computer to locate the equipment, the ability to uplink and download from the moon and all satellites, and a pump panel that requires an aeronautical engineer to operate, we have created monsters that defy description. But they sure look good in the 4th of July parade.
I’m not suggesting we get rid of those big red trucks that we know and love. To stimulate some thinking, however, we ought to consider whether every station needs a 2,000 gpm pumper with every piece of fire fighting piece of equipment known to man.
Think about it for a minute. We know 70 to 80 percent of calls today are emergency medical services (EMS) of one sort or another. Maybe another 20 to 24 percent of those are what we call smells and bells, and small fires like Dumpsters, garbage cans, car fires, and the like. That leaves a very small percentage of fires that require real muscle in the form of big pumps and big water.
These statistics support what I have been saying for years – we are devoting far too much space to hardware, big pumps and lots of plumbing that are used infrequently. Pierce has recognized this with the recent introduction of its newly-minted PUC, Pierce Ultimate Configuration.
There are things we should be doing to better customize and equip our apparatus for our mission. To me the key to that concept is smaller, lighter, shorter and less expensive apparatus.
It’s easy to see the difference in sizes of the various Freightliner chassis. The one in the center is ideal for a compact initial response unit. (Freightliner Photo) |
The Europeans do a great job mounting equipment. Tool boards are swing-out and other equipment is well organized and easily accessible. A single switch opens all the doors on the side of the truck. (Fire Apparatus Photo by Bob Barraclough) |
The 4x4 version of the International chassis is used in many wildland applications. This version has a compressed air foam system, pump-and-roll capabilities and a 500-gallon tank. (Fire Apparatus Photo by Bob Barraclough) |
For the sake of discussion in this column, I’ll refer to them as compact trucks. In actuality, what I’m envisioning is a mixed breed, part initial attack fire apparatus (as defined in National Fire Protection Association’s Chapter 6 of 1901) and part pumper fire apparatus (found in NFPA Chapter 5 of 1901).
As I see the compact truck, it would resemble a two-thirds version of a normal pumper with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of about 26,000 pounds, with a 500 to 750 gpm pump, 250- to 300-gallon tanks, with a Class A foam system (preferably a compressed air foam system), a remote-control deluge gun, seating for at least four firefighters (preferably four) and a hose bed. It ought to have an A-frame ladder, plus two other ground ladders, but no 35-footers, and perhaps 100 cubic feet of storage space for equipment, including EMS stuff.
Its mission would not be much different than an initial attack pumper. It would be the first out on all fires and EMS calls.
The compact would be expected to handle EMS assists to the ambulance crew and all but the largest fires. For instance, if you had 10 stations, the department could place a compact rig in each station. In five of the 10 stations, there would also be a big red truck that would be used at the station captain’s discretion. A typical response to a reported fire would be the two closest compact units with only one responding Code 3. As a backup, dispatchers would also then send one big red truck without lights and siren. Then, depending on the number and nature of calls, additional units could be dispatched as they are now.
You might be wondering where are the benefits. The biggest one is the increase in safety as only one unit is responding with lights and siren. Next, by being a smaller unit, the compact could reduce response times as it moves in and around urban and suburban area traffic.
Third, the response of two compacts could handle all but the exceptional fires. Fourth, being smaller and with less expensive equipment, replacement costs are less.
The chassis seems to be the key component of the compact, and I’m happy to report that there is a good selection of U.S. manufacturers that have something which could serve as the platform to build the “compact” apparatus.
American LaFrance has a new Condor/Pioneer chassis. The company will offer its Condor CC (Crew Cab four-door) to any manufacturer with a limited number of options. It will also be available in a two-door version for pumpers, tankers and rescues. Door windows are all electric with doors opening a full 90 degrees. A tilt-and-telescopic steering column is standard.
The Condor will have Cummins ISC and ISL fire vocational engines in the four-door models. The base front axle is an 18,000-pound Meritor.
The Pioneer version will be exclusive to American LaFrance dealers and have some proprietary features for their customers.
International has a cab and chassis that started out as an ambulance chassis with a low profile, yet big truck components. The same Diamond Logic system used in the full-sized truck and an air ride suspension is available. A 230 hp MaxxForce diesel with 620-foot pounds of torque and an Allison transmission with both pto openings useable is also available.
Freightliner’s M-2 has a GVWR of 20,000 pounds, although it can go as low as 16,000 pounds. Using the Mercedes Benz engine with a horsepower rating below 260 hp will allow the use of its smaller radiator. It would have 19.5-inch wheels and low-profile tires.
Not In North America
Another good base for a compact unit would be the GMC 5500. It’s a conventional cab chassis that has become a popular alternative to the Ford F550. Most of the ones I’ve seen are 4x4, so they are somewhat taller than conventional units.
Speaking of Ford, the new 2007/2008 4x4 cab and chassis has presented a challenge for fire apparatus builders because of the routing of the new exhaust system, which blocks the pto opening. The two-wheel drive units don’t seem to have the problem because a split shaft gear could be used for the pump and one pto used for a compressed air foam system compressor.
Some of the custom cab builders may be working on compact cabs, but we might have to wait for a future show to see what they’ll offer.
In Europe, builders use the M.A.N. cab and chassis, which seems ideally suited for the compact truck that I have been describing. Rosenbauer uses them in Europe. It’s too bad they’re not available in North America.
If you can make it to any of my classes, we could chat about the merits of this new type of unit.
In the meantime, stay safe and make sure everyone goes home safely.
Editor’s Note: Bob Barraclough is editorial director of Fire Apparatus and has been involved with the fire service for more than 40 years as a firefighter and apparatus industry consultant. He is a member of the NFPA 1901 Fire Apparatus Standards committee, an organizer of the annual FDSOA Apparatus Specification Symposium and a long-time member of the Fire Apparatus Manufacturers’ Association.