Overuse of the airhorn

[TimesUp 148]

Good point about the brakes locking up. Alot of guys think they'll lose the brakes and not be able to stop, or the brakes get spongy because the air gets low. If the air goes the brakes will lock up. If the brakes get spongy while your driving you might be on them to much.

[mfc2257 464]

This isn't intended to be condecending, but there are some people who don't know how air brakes work (some of whom are probably driving apparatus with air brakes)...... Here is the over simplified version.

First: When you hear the emergency brake applied and a large rush of air is heard, this is not air being put into the system, but air being removed. The way the emergency brakes functions is that heavy springs hold the brakes on. Air pressure is used to hold the springs back when the emergency brakes are off. Thus the rush of air you hear when the emergency brake is applied, is the removal of the air pressure that was holding the springs back.

Second: When there is a leak in a modern air system, or in the case of the aforementioned 1971 Maxim, when the system drains, there is no longer enough pressure to hold the emergency brakes springs back and the brake is applied.

In actuality its a very safe system

[Guest]

There is a definate difference between using the horn for a purpose and just making noise. I usually only use it at intersections and in heavy traffic. Short bursts are usually suficient. As it has been stated several times, making more noise doesn't make people move any faster, and sometimes it makes you look plain old STUPID.

On a somewhat related topic, Does anyone discontinue use of the air horn when nearing the scene when they are not first due? We do not have a policy or anything but I teach our new drivers to discontinue the use of the horn when they get near the fire scene so that crews working inside will not mistake the sound of the horns for a evacuation signal. I know that a evacuation signal is a pre determined set of blasts but why confuse the crews inside. Does anyone else do something similar?

[ja3kfd 34]

Most of what is being said about air brakes in here is true but whether the air brake is drained, Emergency brake is on if the brakes are overheated they will not always hold the truck, hence as well someone saying the brakes are"soft" meaninng overheated,all of our trucks that I drive on FD side Air Horns are taken of Dry tank or sludge tank, once they drop below 80 psi they stop working as well.

[eckyphats 0]

There is a definate difference between using the horn for a purpose and just making noise.  I usually only use it at intersections and in heavy traffic.  Short bursts are usually suficient.  As it has been stated several times, making more noise doesn't make people move any faster, and sometimes it makes you look plain old STUPID.

On a somewhat related topic, Does anyone discontinue use of the air horn when nearing the scene when they are not first due?  We do not have a policy or anything but I teach our new drivers to discontinue the use of the horn when they get near the fire scene so that crews working inside will not mistake the sound of the horns for a evacuation signal.  I know that a evacuation signal is a pre determined set of blasts but why confuse the crews inside.  Does anyone else do something similar?

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Good call, we dont have any kind of policy but ive always thought the same thing.......