Keeping It Safe Robert Tutterow
Have you ever thought about how you would design your ideal fire truck? For purposes of this discussion, it will be limited basically to a pumper. For some context, what have the major advancements in apparatus design been in your career?
As a baby boomer who started hanging around the local volunteer fire station in the late 1950s, I would say there were more changes in the first 30 years of that 60-plus year period than during the past 30 years. For example, there was a switch from gas to diesel, from straight drive to automatic transmissions, and from open cabs to enclosed cabs. In the past 30 years, the biggest change I have seen has been the switch to LED lighting. Obviously, there have been incremental, but minor (in my mind), advancements during the past 30 years. However, I think we may be on the verge of more significant changes with the emergence of the electric apparatus and electronics overall.
Starting with a clean slate, how would you design a fire truck? Let’s start with the drivetrain. Do you prefer diesel, electric, or some other source of power? At present, I think that because of price, most everyone prefers diesel. But, what if the price was the same, and the operational times were the same? In my mind, this makes the electric pumper the preferred choice. There is more room in the cab. Acceleration and deceleration are vastly improved. They are quieter, and there is no need for an exhaust removal system. Even if there was a way to make fossil fuels totally friendly to the environment, the real estate required for the internal combustion engine is massive. And, will the fire truck of the future be self-driving?
What about the pump and tank? There is little one can do with water other than provide additives to improve suppression capabilities. But, is there validity in studying super high-pressure mist-type systems? Are there other ways to extinguish a fire without water? The obvious answer is yes—i.e., dry-chem. But, what about sound waves or another oxygen eliminator? I am fairly confident that the pump will be operated by an electronic pad, either mounted or portable … probably portable.
What about the body? We have done a much better job of organizing compartments in recent years as we have transitioned to all-hazards response agencies. But, are there further improvements? Could the body “open up” like a tackle box (think ladder rack)? What if the doors were all clear glass so the equipment is visible without opening a door? Should the hosebed, if one is needed, be able to come out and down to the rear of the truck for loading at ground level?
What about the appearance, conspicuity, and warning devices? Will the future pumper be “boxy” like today’s rigs or perhaps sleeker? Will the current trend of using as much black as possible continue? Will audible warning devices (air horns and sirens) be needed, or will there be preemptive systems, like HAAS Alert, in all vehicles that warn other motorists of an emergency vehicle response? Perhaps these preemptive devices can alert motorists that they are approaching an emergency scene. And, maybe that device automatically slows approaching motorists down to a maximum speed of less than 10 mph.
Obviously, thinking about the ideal fire truck and what we may wish it to be is up to the imagination and varies greatly from individual to individual and within an individual. Ask me again in a few months about my thoughts, and they will likely be somewhat different. My thoughts are simply to get you to think about what might be. A huge challenge in this thought process is to overcome our personal biases.
Most importantly, as this is the Keeping It Safe column, I think the future fire truck should be designed with the firefighter’s safety, health, and comfort as the absolute starting point and the primary theme throughout the process. I argue that that has not been the case with our current apparatus design. We design the truck and try to fit the firefighter in where we can. Indeed, a strong case could be made that the firefighter is an afterthought. After all, it wasn’t that many years ago that we were riding the tailboard. And, this is not the fault of the apparatus manufacturers. Far too often, we, as customers, have other priorities.
Looking ahead, will the pumper of the future be more of a platform for drones and robots than anything else? Stay healthy and safe!
ROBERT TUTTEROW retired as safety coordinator for the Charlotte (NC) Fire Department and is a member of the Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment Editorial Advisory Board. His 44-year career includes 10 as a volunteer. He has been very active in the National Fire Protection Association through service on the Fire Service Section Executive Board and technical committees involved with safety, apparatus, and personal protective equipment. He is a founding member and president of the Fire Industry Education Resource Organization (F.I.E.R.O.).
