A number of manufacturers debuted electric fire apparatus at FDIC International 2022 in April. This month, we asked Advisory Board Members Bill Adams and Ricky Riley: “Is the fire service ready for electric fire apparatus? Do you see any potential for the future?”

I don’t believe the fire service is ready to accept electric fire apparatus. There is a plethora of reasons behind my rationale. To dispel any accusation of me being a traditionalist and the effect of aging on my decision, I am 100% in favor of making firefighters’ jobs easier, safer, and more efficient to accomplish. Should electric fire apparatus meet that criterion, so be it. Buy as many as you want. And, there is no belittling manufacturers that introduce new products that benefit the fire service, regardless of their reasoning. Kudos to them.

If the concept is being promoted strictly because of a political doctrine, I am skeptical. If the real objective for introducing electric apparatus is to satisfy a philosophy or a theory, regardless of being perceived or desired, I am very skeptical. In my opinion, political doctrines, predisposed viewpoints, and subjective hypothesis have no place in determining what kind of apparatus a fire department should purchase.

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Questions from potential purchasers

I will address electric apparatus from the perspective of an open-minded fire chief and an apparatus purchasing committee (APC). For simplicity’s sake, the chief and APC members have no hidden agendas and no preconceived feelings toward or against electric fire apparatus. All want to provide the best possible equipment for the firefighters. They have looked at the brochures and advertisements of the electric fire apparatus manufacturers and have read articles about them in the various trade journals. The chief and the APC are receptive to new ideas yet want to ensure the fire department and taxpayers receive the best value for the monies expended. More importantly, the new purchase must enhance safety and fireground operations. To make a judicious decision, they have some questions they want answered. The following are not directed at one particular manufacturer; they are bona fide queries APC members are likely to ask any vendor promoting an electric fire truck.

• We have a concern about weight. Our current apparatus is almost maxed out on both the front and rear axle gross axle weight ratings (GAWR). If we stay with the same body material, pump, tank and hosebed capacity, cab seating, and equipment allowance, how much more will the electric fire truck weigh?
• Is there a maximum gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) for an electrically-powered apparatus?
• Will the battery (aka battery bank, battery pack, or batteries) location affect the front-to-rear weight ratio recommended by you, the chassis manufacturer? If so, by how much?
• Will the battery size and mounting location take up exterior compartment storage space?
• Will the battery size and mounting location take up room in the cab interior currently used for seating and storage?
• How much does each battery weigh?
• We want a midship-mounted fire pump. Will the battery location interfere with front or rear piping?
• Is there a limit to the pump capacity offered with an electrically powered rig?
• Can the battery be replaced locally by a fire apparatus repair shop?
• Is it possible to replace a single battery, or must the entire battery pack be replaced?
• Most advertisements tout the battery capacity in kilowatts (kW). One kW equals 1.34+ horsepower, but what does that equate to in actual run time? As an example, how long can the rig operate at 55 miles per hour (mph) before it needs a recharge? Or, how many hours can it pump at full capacity before it needs a recharge?
• Another advertisement says the kW ratings are in peak and continuous. What does that mean?
• As a battery charge gets lower, is there a decrease in over-the-road performance—i.e., mph?
• As a battery charge gets lower, is there a decrease in pump performance—i.e., pounds per square inch (psi) or gallons per minute (gpm)?
• How long have over-the-road commercial Class 8 vehicles been using battery power?
• How many battery-powered over-the-road commercial Class 8 vehicles are on the road today?
• One brochure says when batteries get low, an auxiliary motor will automatically kick in. Is that to recharge the batteries or actually drive the vehicle and fire pump?
• Another brochure says its battery pack is equivalent to a 450-horsepower (hp) engine. Do the auxiliary motors have the same hp rating as the battery?
• What is the fuel tank capacity for the auxiliary motor? What is its duration in miles at 55 mph?
• What size generator or what type of in-house electrical system or modifications are required to charge a rig? How expensive is it?
• If a battery-powered rig goes on lengthy mutual-aid responses—i.e., as part of a statewide strike team—how is recharging done while out of town?
• How long does a battery or battery pack last?

Skeptical or Wary?

Many firefighters are skeptical of change. Some are merely cautious. Throughout the history of the American fire service, change has come slowly. Steam pumpers became the norm from around 1840 until the middle 1920s, which was almost 10 years after the first apparatus became motorized. Wood aerial ladders were still being purchased 15 to 20 years after the first metal aerial was invented. And the Europeans were using fully enclosed four-door cabs, sexless couplings, large-diameter hose, and rear-mounted aerial ladders before World War II—long before those concepts were accepted in the United States.

Some purchasers remember in the very early 1960s a major apparatus manufacturer introduced the turbine-powered fire truck. It only sold three of them. Ten years later, the same company took a second shot at introducing turbine power. It sold fewer the second time. The jury isn’t out on electric fire trucks—it hasn’t been convened yet.

BILL ADAMS is a member of the Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment Editorial Advisory Board, a former fire apparatus salesman, and a past chief of the East Rochester (NY) Fire Department. He has 50 years of experience in the volunteer fire service.

Keeping an Open Mind About Electric Apparatus

If you attended FDIC International 2022 in April, you would certainly think that the fire service is ready for electric fire apparatus. A number of the large manufacturers showed up with electric rigs as their main focal point in their booths, with unveilings and a large contingent of personnel to answer your questions about this type of apparatus. Although the industry appears to be somewhat ready for it and some customers have bought in, I am not sure we are ready for it.

You would have to have your head in the sand to not know that we are being pushed for less pollution producing apparatus and that electric cars are certainly a hot ticket item for a number of consumers. Some car manufacturers are laying claims to going all electric in the very near future. So yes, this concept is real, and with a rumor of more restrictions getting ready to be placed on the diesel motor industry by the Environmental Protection Agency. We had better get ready for what is coming on the horizon for the fire service. And although we might not be ready, we all need to at least be looking at what the initial concepts are for the electric fire apparatus.

The top manufacturers brought electric rigs for all of us to see, and they all have different ideas for how these rigs should look, operate, and function for the firefighters on the street. Both Pierce and E-ONE brought the traditional North American-looking apparatus, and Rosenbauer brought a European-style rig. All were equally interesting to look at and had good and not-so-good points. All models had diesel motors/range extenders associated with the design. Providing the backup diesel system is crucial to get buy-in from the fire service and to provide a backup to the electric motors and batteries. It will be very interesting to see the rigs in an urban environment and with high-run companies and how these systems can withstand the beating of some urban and suburban roads, call volume, and fire duty. While we can all be skeptical and doubt the concept, it will take a busy department to prove the systems and technology for a large number of us doubters.

One of the biggest hurdles that I see right away is the price of the rigs. In two of the three booths, we were told that it is going to cost twice what we are paying now per rig to get one of the electric rigs delivered. In departments that struggle with budgets and apparatus replacement, I just cannot see justifying buying one electric apparatus for what we can purchase two diesel rigs for. The more newer apparatus we can put on the street is a good thing for our departments. Of course, there will always be a political push or need to be seen as innovative in a purchase of this high of a price. But currently two rigs on the street are still better than one right now.

From all three that I saw at FDIC, the electric motors can produce the power that we are accustomed to seeing with our diesel engines, with the range between 400 and 525 hp attributed to the electric motors and the supporting battery system. Regardless of how the batteries are stored on the units, vertically or horizontally, this is space that we are giving up on the apparatus. And, I have concerns about the safety of these batteries in an apparatus collision and where they are stored. I think that no amount of planning and design can answer fully the safety or fire danger of the battery storage regardless of manufacturer until these rigs are out on the street and operating in greater numbers. As with most suburban and urban fleets, dealing with accidents of apparatus, ambulances, and support vehicles is a constant challenge if not a daily occurrence. Only out in the response areas will departments see if these large batteries on our rigs play a role.

In my apparatus maintenance and repair world, these rigs will definitely cause some challenges. These batteries, high-voltage cables, motors, and inverters will all need some repair sooner or later. This will be a whole new world for mechanics. The mechanics’ educational support system will now require many classes and seminars to fully understand these systems. And then where are the parts, pieces, and motors made for these rigs? What is their availability and cost compared to our standard diesel parts? Will budgets have to be increased to cover the repairs of the new electric systems? All this is on top of keeping the range extender motors serviced and running.

Also consider the cost of the infrastructure that will need to be built into a current fire station or a new station. The costs for these charging systems varied across the showroom floor but averaged between $200,000 and $300,000 to be put into a fire station for the proper quick charging of the new apparatus. An interesting side note during these conversations was that the charging system could overwhelm a power grid, depending on the strength of your city’s or town’s electrical distribution system. This expensive charging system is the one that can charge the rig in a condensed amount of time, unlike a standard 30-amp system that we could plug in and will take twice as long to bring the rig’s batteries back up to full level for operation. These are all interesting challenges as we look at this new design of electric fire apparatus.

This technology and move to electric fire apparatus is very interesting to me, as this very well could be the future of fire apparatus. The challenges and the uphill battle will be interesting to watch as we struggle with the concept, the mining of the batteries, and how it will fit into our North American fire service. Hopefully, the cost will go down and make it more affordable and cost-effective for departments without having to sacrifice budgets and apparatus purchases to include one in a department’s fleet. I urge you to schedule time with your chosen manufacturer that offers these rigs and have a serious and open discussion about all aspects of this new technology. My discussions at FDIC with a few manufacturers’ corporate engineers were very educational and opened my mind more to this concept and innovation in our industry but also left me with a lot more questions as to how they will actually work in our busier departments.

RICKY RILEY is the president of Traditions Training, LLC. He previously served as the operations chief for Clearwater (FL) Fire & Rescue and as a firefighter for Fairfax County (VA) Fire & Rescue. He also is a firefighter with the Kentland (MD) Volunteer Fire Department and a member of the Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment Editorial Advisory Board.