Arrowxt

Good job Arlington Fire District! Congrats. We were able to lower our rating and are working on shaving a few more points off the next time we are evaluated. Hydrants can make a difference but there is a department that achieved a 1 without a municipal water district. Pre planning, mutual aid and training can all be improved upon until you achieve the 1 level. Also be aware of the "grey" areas where moving up a notch doesn’t really make a change on how insurance companies view as a positive or make changes to policy holder premiums. Meaning sometimes trying to move up one level doesn't really make a difference so sometimes departments will over spend on equipment/buildings when the money could be better spent on training or admin. i.e.; 5 could = 7 and 7 could = 5 in the eyes of insurance company. Making your department better and community safer is priceless, so the road to 1 is a noble one.

Looks like a Gimaex with a Spartan stuck under it......or it's a Gimaex on its new chassis.....

Looks like a Gimaex with a Spartan logo stuck to it..........

1950'ish Ward Lafrance 85' mid mount?

Auto drop chains have there place. There a few makers of such chain systems that are better than others. One point I do not like about them is that they are horrid in reverse. A few years back I was the driver and responded to a vehicle fire in 6" of snow. Got there and back to station and then could not get the truck backed into the bay. The chains did not work at all in reverse and there was only maybe 4" on the pad( the plow guy was doing his job, it was a bad storm). Full chains are the real deal, and there are different grades of chain you can buy that will operate fine on just wet and dry roads. They are made of better metals and stand up to heat so the cross links tend not to let go and damage the truck. Also if you train the drivers, it only takes seconds to take the chains off and drive away if they are not needed.

Actually what you see in your photo is going to be very difficult to achieve in the future. As the 2010 EPA is an enhanced version from 2007 the distance from the turbo to the first containment vessel has been increased and some engine manufacturers are going to have a second containment vessel where at that point there will be an injection of liquid urea. Most designs now have a “turn back” that sends the exhaust back towards the front of the apparatus after it passes thru the first vessel and then sends it into the second. That vessel is located on the LS of the apparatus and then will turn back towards the rear and will have to cross back under the drive train and exit to the RS. This will be common on units with pumps, rescues and trucks can run both down the RS. The distance cannot be manipulated from what the manufacturer mandates. That’s with the urea system, I am not sure what the manufacturers that are using the dual EGR technology are able to do, but I think they have their limitations as well. The days of the “stack” may be over. If you want to reroute the exhaust gas you can still use the air operated “dump” or reroute valve, but there is going to be an extensive amount of piping involved.

You should have killed it. They are invading the Everglades and destroying them. In a few years you will be snapping shots of many different species of constrictors sunning themselves. Huge problem in Florida now and will spread to entire Gulf Coast States soon. They are nothing more than hairless rats.

WOW 4000? I remember this old girl...everytime I drive past it. We have come a long way with our apparatus, it may be worth buying and sitting out front of station. I would love to point to it everytime I hear "the mirrors are out of adjustment" or "someone dumped all of the air out of the seat." That truck would pain me on response time. Gas job with 2 speed "farmer rear" $4000? Good luck!

Great topic. I feel that it should be left to the discretion of the operator. The driver of any apparatus can and will be responsible for the lives of up to six firefighters in my district and maybe up to 10 in others. I want him /her to be comfortable in the operator’s seat. NFPA compliant boots with the structure and mass they have can be cumbersome with pedal operations and it is not a secret that the EPA standards have narrowed every manufacturers seating width. Once on scene they should be in a full protective envelope. If they are required to have an SCBA(available) then they should be required to be in PPE if not just for added protection from a broken intake/discharge but also for the reflective striping. The added 2 minutes of them donning the gear at the scene is not going to bother me if everyone gets there in one piece safely.

Speak with your Assemblyman or representative. The Bill that was passed was about consolidation of services and did include fire protection. I have spoken with mine and he is trying to introduce an exemption for us. We all know NYS Government is a mess but he is trying to get it in there. I haven’t called him on it lately but we should be exempt soon. We have to be careful in the economic downturn, there are a lot of “knee jerk” groups that will chop heads off of any tax and most groups are extremely under informed. The best bet is to contact your rep and get it squashed. 10% will only introduce it to a vote, but with what is going on it is best to stay out of the media entirely.

ALF did two "Quint" TDA's I think they are in CA I have pics and would have to find them. Tandemn tractors with 2000gpm pumps I will look for photo's

National Geographic Channel has a show on now where they are cutting in half an old Ford Grumman Snorkel.

Capt. You are a true asset to your Community and Country. You should be proud of your accomplishments. Your legacy and values will forever live with those you knew. Arrow

A Senior man yells when yelling is needed, talks when talking is needed, does when doing is needed, most importantly listens when listening is needed. They create themselves and each is unique.

Axles come in a variety of ratings. Looking at front tires and rear tires I can gauge weight and GVW. Did anyone bother to ask what they are going to load into this truck? I have seen more Tandem trucks overloaded than single axle rears. It depends more on what you carry and where you carry it.