Firefighting Field Notes

by Dominic Colletti

Conshohocken Gets Air And Light Truck

Conshohocken (Pa.) Fire Company No. 2 has taken delivery of a new rescue truck built by Ferrara. Mounted on a Ferrara Igniter chassis with a Cummins ISL 400 engine, the cab crew area is equipped to seat six firefighters.

Behind the roll-up doors is an aluminum body holding a 6,000-psi 14-cfm breathing air compressor plus a wide assortment of tools of the trade, including hydraulic rescue tools, air bags and cribbing.

Conshohocken is located along the Schuylkill River in Montgomery County, Pa. “Conshy,” as locals call it, thrives with industry and office clientele needing fire protection and rescue service on weekdays and turns into primarily a bedroom community after 5 p.m. and on weekends.

Assistant Chief Steve Phipps of Conshohocken Fire Company No. 2 said Air 35 is the third Ferrara-built chassis in the firehouse. The fire company also owns two pumpers on Inferno custom chassis with Hale midship pumps and compressed air foam systems.

The company’s new $425,000 air truck was sold direct from the factory in Holden, La., and it was delivered in March.

Air 35 is a “truckman’s rescue truck.” That is not to say this apparatus is only utilitarian — it has all the best chrome — but it really shines as a highly-efficient emergency scene “let’s-get-down-to-work” truck.

The truck committee spent many hours working with the manufacturer to locate equipment and design the rescue body to take care of many small details. For just one example, a large oil-dry hopper is located at the top rear of the body with a chute and valve to quickly dispense the absorbent into 5-gallon buckets on the ground.

 

Conshohocken’s Air 35 rescue truck is built on a Ferrara Igniter chassis. With a full complement of hydraulic rescue tools, air bags, a 75,000-watt pto generator and 6,000-psi breathing air compressor, it’s ready for heavy-duty work.

Air 35 is equipped with a 75,000-watt Winco pto generator feeding two 240-volt and two 120-volt electric cord reels, scene lights and a Will-Burt light tower with four 1,500-watt quartz halogen lamps. Two “Class Three” tow hitches (mounted front and rear) are wired for power so that a portable Warn 9,000-pound electric winch can be used in either location.

Several 250- and 500-pound roll-out trays hold Hurst Jaws of Life rescue tools and assorted hand tools. A bank of four cascade air cylinders can fill two self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) or self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) cylinders at a time inside a fragmentation enclosure.

If you are traveling through “Conshy” and stop to see Air 35, you will agree its a “truckman’s rescue truck.”

Taking into consideration those who designed it – Conshohocken firefighters – it is ready, willing and able for heavy-duty work.

Editor’s Note: Dominic Colletti is the global foam systems product manager for Hale Products and the author of two books – “The Compressed Air Foam Systems Handbook” and “Class A Foam – Best Practice For Structure Firefighters.” Colletti is a former assistant fire chief in Royersford, Pa. and serves on the technical committee of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1500 Fire Department Occupation Safety and Health Program. He is an instructor specializing in CAFS implementation.