When the Linglestown Fire Company (LFC) No. 1 purchased a new mid-mount ladder truck from KME last year, it was a far cry from its first motorized fire truck that was bought used from the Elizabethville Fire Company. It was a used Model T. The first equipment used to fight fires back then were buckets, hand fire extinguishers, and ladders.
LFC No. 1 covers an area of 3.8 square miles with a population of 6,500. It is located in the northernmost part of Lower Paxton Township, in Dauphin County, just outside of Harrisburg, PA. It provides service with two other fire companies in the area.
The response area, according to Bill Payne, fire chief and chairman of the fire companies’ truck committee, is comprised of large residences, high-end homes, hospitals, warehouses, and a bulk fuel storage depot. The community also has a number of shopping centers, restaurants, and small family businesses, Payne says.
“We try to replace our apparatus every 18 years,” says Payne. “Our apparatus committee consists of a chief, an engineer, a younger member, and an officer and older members. We try to get input and ideas from everyone who would respond on the vehicles.”
Payne adds that the committee working on the new aerial looked at various manufacturers that had sold vehicles in the immediate area to see what was available.
“We were replacing a 2000 KME 95-foot ladder this time around,” says Payne. “Since we had seven previous KME vehicles in our fire company, it was only natural to go with them again for this purchase.”
1 Linglestown Fire Company No. 1‘s KME 102-foot mid-mount aerial. (Photos courtesy of KME.)
2 The slanted, simple pump panel.
| SPECSCHASSIS100-inch severe service X-MFD cab4Front frontal air bag protection systemClass 1 Es-Key Ultraview electrical systemDRIVE TRAINCummins X15 600-hp engineAllison 4000EVS transmissionPUMP AND TANK300-gallon UPF Poly III water tankWaterous S100 2,000-gpm, single-stage pumpBODYMid-mount platform straight-shot, hinged bodyELECTRICALFRC thermal imaging camera system—aerial mountedFRC Inview 360 dual camera monitorFRC brow lightHiViz FireTech 80-inch brow lightHarrison PTO/hydraulic generatorHannay 240-volt electric cord reelAERIALIQAN motion control system102-foot vertical reach94-foot horizonal reach2.5:1 structural safety factorDeep penetrating outrigger and stabilizersState-of-the-art motion control system10-inch display at control consoleMinus 12-degree to 80-degree elevation rangeUnrestricted 2,000-gpm waterway ratingDIMENSIONSOverall length: 47 feet 1 inchOverall height: 11 feetWheelbase: 43 feet 11 inches |
Even though the department purchased the ladder through Pennsylvania’s cooperative purchasing program called COSTARS, the department still went out to bid and selected KME as the truck builder, Payne says.
He adds that members of his department traveled to the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) International in Indianapolis to look at what was available on the show floor and to see what other departments around the nation were ordering for apparatus.
“We wanted dual deluge guns in the front of the bucket so we could operate with a straight tip as well as a variable pattern nozzle,” Payne says. “Our committee liked the large 1,000-pound basket capacity that KME offered as well. After our fire company demo’ed various aerials, we went with a mid-mount for the reach and operations.”
In the department’s response area, all three fire companies respond to structure fires as well as the closest mutual-aid companies, Payne says, noting that much of the response area is filled with tight streets, so a short wheelbase for better maneuverability was important.
“Some of the changes we made on the new unit were having a FLIR in the bucket, a 360-degree camera view of the truck, so the driver can see all four sides of the vehicle,” Payne says, noting that the new aerial also has a 21-inch curb-to-curb clearance.
Some of the equipment on the aerial includes battery-powered fans, chain saws, DeWalt hand tools, Streamlight flashlights, a 15-kW PTO hydraulic generator, and a usual assortment of truck company tools.
For hose, the unit carries 650 feet of 5-inch hose, two 200-foot lines of 1¾-inch hose off each side, and 300 feet of 3-inch supply line.
The department also chose to increase the water tank size to 300 gallons from the 180-gallon tank it had in its previous unit, says Payne, who adds the department kept the pump the same size at 2,000 gpm.
The firefighters were able to get all that plus 250 cubic feet of compartment space and 205 feet of ground ladders, Payne says.
“The KME engineers worked well with our committee and were receptive to all of our ideas and concerns,” Payne says. “The local KME dealer, Fire & Rescue Products [Harrisburg], also gave us a great deal of help with the design and service after the sale. What also made it great for our fire company was that the factory was only an hour away so we could do inspections easily during the build.”
3 1,000-pound bucket capacity twin deluge guns.
4 It has a large and spacious rear cab.
5 The driver’s side large compartments.
| DAUPHIN COUNTY STATION 35Engine 35: 2017 KME Severe Service LFD (1,750/850)Truck 35: 2020 KME Severe Service X-MFD (2,000/300/102-foot mid-mount AerialCat platform)Tanker 35: 2008 Mack Granite GU813/KME (1,250/2,500)Brush 35: 2002 Ford F-350 4×4/2020 FD-built (portable pump/285)Rescue 35: 2006 American LaFrance Eagle walk-aroundAir 35: 2021 Kenworth T440/ Swab Commander walk-inTraffic 35 (Fire Police): 2017 Chevrolet Silverado walk-in utility bodyUTV 35: 2012 John Deere Gator XUV 855D 4×4 (250/70)Trailer 35Utility 35-1: 2001 Ford F-350 DRW 4x4Chief 35: 2016 Ford F-150 XLT 4x4Duty 35: 2018 Ford F-150 4x4Engine 35-2 (Parade): 1941 Ford/Darley pumper (500/250) |
LFC No. 1 took a proactive approach to the design of this new mid-mount ladder. The members took into consideration how it would respond in the response area. The maneuverability around tight residential areas was a concern, so they designed the truck with a shorter wheelbase. The ladder was designed 7 feet longer than the previous ladder for longer reach, and they included battery-powered tools, which is beginning to be the norm for the fire service all over the county.
The bucket was designed to carry additional weight as well as give the incident commander the option of using a straight bore nozzle or a variable pattern nozzle on a fire.
If your department is looking for a new ladder or engine, look at what’s out there and design a truck that suits your department’s needs and the needs of your response district not only now but for the future. The choice should be based on what you need, not what a manufacturer tells you that you need. Your department will be the end user, so you need to make the final choice based on cost and needs.
BOB VACCARO has more than 40 years of fire service experience. He is a former chief of the Deer Park (NY) Fire Department. Vaccaro has also worked for the Insurance Services Office, the New York Fire Patrol, and several major commercial insurance companies as a senior loss-control consultant. He is a life member of the IAFC.
