How Do You Handle On-Scene Refueling? (Cool New Device)

[x635 4,066]

I was just curious if on-scene refueling was still a concern nowadays at prolonged incidents then it was in yesteryears?

I discovered this cool trailer that the Westchester County DOT has.....it's a mobile refueling station, for both gas AND diesel. It has very long hoses with retractable reels. With the red paint, I was hoping it was for DES, but apparently that's the OEM color scheme.

Although it's probaly to refuel their mowing tractors, or other equipment that can't be brought to a pump easily, I think this would be a great asset to the Fire Service. But I don't know if I have heard any stories or problems with apparatus running out of fuel during a prolonged incident in recent memory. But, even so, in a disaster situation this may be an asset, too.

[mfc2257 464]

On scene refueling used to be a snap. There are mobile fuel delivery companies OR company that delivered home heating oil could just pump #2 out of any of it's delivery trucks. Most people know, but for those that don't, #2 (standard) home heating oil and diesel fuel are virtually the same product (except for the dye that for tax purposes deliniates the difference in the two for inspection).

The 2007 emissions standards pose a problem for this once easy practice of calling a fuel oil company. Ultra Low Sulfer Diesel is required for use in all 2007 diesel over the road vehicles including heavy service equipment like fire apparatus and tractor trailers. That's not to say that they won't run on regular old fashion diesel, as the combustion process hasn't changed, BUT the emmissions control equipement and diesel particulate filters will clog with prolonged high sulfer diesel use. I ran my 2007 6.7L Dodge Ram Cummins TD on two tanks of the old stuff earlier in the year when I couldn't find the ULSD while on a road trip, and noticed no drop in performance. If the dealer finds the old stuff in the tank or if the OBD system identifies it, the warrenty could be void. Voiding the warrenty on your 60series would be a costly mistake.

Quick trick for anyone out there with a 2007 oil burner like me. If you go to a Mobil or Exxon station and the pump says LSD (low sulfur diesel 550ppm) you can't pump that by law and warrenty. HOWEVER, walk over to the tank fill covers in the ground and see if there is a yellow lid with a black U painted on it. If so, the tank holds ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel 15ppm). You can go ahead and fill regardless of the sticker on the pump. There is a mandated amount of time that the tanks must be filled with ULSD before the stickers on the pump can be changed over from the LSD.

[Goose 188]

Another note about ULSD fuel oil...the winter blend dose not contain kerosene (anti-gelling agent) because there is no ULS kerosene, so it may gel if a vehicle is left outside for a prolonged amount of time.

Just a quick question...dose anyone know if there are plans to convert home heating oil over to ULSD?

Edited January 2, 2008 by Goose

[Dondestro 9]

Back on fathers day of 2007 we had a house fire and the attack engine parked in the driveway was never filled at the last clean/checklist so we had to have one of the guys from the town crew come out with a pickup truck mounted tank. things wouldn't have been to good if the truck ran out.

A question i have is dose anyone know if the towns who have there own pumps(like mine) have regular diesel in them and a company gets a new rig that is supposed to run on ULSD if the town now forced to buy it because of the one truck. The town i live in buys the lowest quality diesel you can get, we have a 2005 and it smokes when running on town diesel but we had a long drive to upstate ct and fuled up on the way back and it ran much cleaner.

[dadbo46 50]

I was just curious if on-scene refueling was still a concern nowadays at prolonged incidents then it was in yesteryears?

I discovered this cool trailer that the Westchester County DOT has.....it's a mobile refueling station, for both gas AND diesel. It has very long hoses with retractable reels. With the red paint, I was hoping it was for DES, but apparently that's the OEM color scheme.

Although it's probaly to refuel their mowing tractors, or other equipment that can't be brought to a pump easily, I think this would be a great asset to the Fire Service. But I don't know if I have heard any stories or problems with apparatus running out of fuel during a prolonged incident in recent memory. But, even so, in a disaster situation this may be an asset, too.

Not County DOT trailer. Looks like it might be assigned to DPW Road Maintenance.

In the old days, when apparatus was powered by gasoline, fueling was critical. Engines operating for an extended period of time at high RPM would eat the gas. Gasoline would be transported to the scene in jerry cans in a utility vehicle and then funneled into apparatus fuel tank.

[TL2L31 8]

City of Rye has a 90 gallon diesel tank mounted in the back of a DPW fleet maintenence vehicle.

[Guest]

i seem to remember at a house fire near Candlewood Lake in New Fairfield a while ago a town truck being called in to refuel one of the on scene apparatus.

[gpdexplorer 46]

At the Hackley Fire in August, the Tarrytown DPW trucked up 55 gallon drums of diesel to refuel the trucks at the scene. I believe that they used hand pumps to fuel the trucks, but I'm not sure.

[firefighter36 52]

At the Hudson River State Hospital fire, IC continuously re-fueled the rigs that were in operation. As I recall, Arlington FD sent their mechanic and his assistant to the scene with a fuel truck. The vehicle was basically a utility body on a pick-up with a diesel tank and pump on board. It worked great. We were there for a number of days and no vehicle came close to running out of fuel.

[Capejake72 8]

my District has a fuel trailer (homebuilt) made out of a surplus military cargo trailer and a couple of large steel transfer tanks (100 gallons +) We also have access to the County Fire Departments fuel truck, which holds about 2000 gallons we might just have to supply a driver for it

[firemoose827 324]

The Village DPW I work for has the Superintendant truck with the fuel pumps on board for fueling the back-hoes and loaders and rollers at major road projects. It has a 100 gallon deisel tank with electric pump and nozzle, and a split tank, 50 gallons deisel and 50 of gas, each also with the electric pumps and nozzles. This truck could easily be special called to the scene of any long operations for refueling purposes, and we all get the fuel from the same spot, the School Districts Bus Garage. They have HUGE tanks that they allow the village DPW, Fire, EMS, and police dept to fuel up at with special cards. I'll see if I can get a picture of the tanks today and post it for everyone...if your interested.

[Dondestro 9]

i seem to remember at a house fire near Candlewood Lake in New Fairfield a while ago a town truck being called in to refuel one of the on scene apparatus.

yea i mentioned it before. On fathersday of of 2007 we had to call the town truckin with a pickup mounted fuel tank to fill our attack engine up in the driveway.

[Guest fire42rescue]

in april of last year we had that in the village of mamaroneck because of the flood we couldn't use the d.p.w gas tanks cause they were under water so that was the fuel supply for our fire trucks

[50-65 205]

Another note about ULSD fuel oil...the winter blend dose not contain kerosene (anti-gelling agent) because there is no ULS kerosene, so it may gel if a vehicle is left outside for a prolonged amount of time.

Just a quick question...dose anyone know if there are plans to convert home heating oil over to ULSD?

Mmm... No ULS Kero? Maybe it is just LS Kero that they have. I don't know the PPM of LS Kero.

I hope they don't convert home heating oil. I get a pretty good discount and I still can't afford it!

But as to original post, we fuel our apparatus whenever they get to 3/4 so they are almost always full. They have 50 - 60 gallon tanks and it is rare that we any kind of extended operations. If necessary though, we would have a contractor come to the scene.

[DCJPells 29]

Arlington's Fuel/Maintenance truck