Side Vs. Top Mount Pumpers

[Guest]

What is the advantage of a top mount pumper that side mount pumpers dont have? Are top mount pumpers safer than side mount pumpers any idea?

Edited February 20, 2010 by T4444T

[darkhanger18 0]

Some top mount pumpers are known as "highway panel's" supposed to keep you up out of harms way. You also get a nice view of whats going on at a scene from the slightly elevated vantage point

[ny10570 745]

However you also now have to get up and down to that elevated platform for every connection or other job that falls to the MPO. They are safer in that you're out of the way of traffic however every trip up and down is potential for injury made worse by wet or icy conditions.

[fireguy43 35]

Side mounts are what I grew up on, always thought it was better to be at street level to do all the things a pump operator does. But, transferred to a different department seven years ago with top mounts. Have to admit, the ability to see a 360 of the fire scene around my vehicle does have its advantages. Just a pain to keep climbing up and down all the time.

[Bnechis 3,961]

There are advantages and disadvantages as have been pointed out.

The engine often requires a much longer wheelbase, which makes it less manuverable, also requires more space in the fire house. It is more expensive. The design often leads to more preconnected lines which aften leads to the 1st engine blocking out the truck. It requires more linkages, which means more maintenance issues (which now can be eliminated with electric valves).

Safety vs. Visability has been mentioned. It is safer than standing in the street, but a lot of climbing on Ice covered running boards is a problem. How often does the pump operator actually stand at the pump panel? 1st most depts have very few fires and those they have are often single line and we go home. So do you need to be up there for hours pumping? Consider that the depts. the do the most fire (large cities) almost never buy top mount. Top mounts are praised for visability, but this is not always the case. If the hose bed is very high you can not see back. The new Pierce PUC I climbed up (one trip/fall on that ladder and you are out of the fire service) and all I could see is the pump panel. The salesman said you can see 360 degrees around if you raise the camera on the pole and look at the little screen on the pump panel. The sun glare ment I had to cover the screen with both hands to look at it (at night I bet the flashing light might be an issue). So not all top mounts have good visability. With the puc I might as well been inside a compartment.

[Chief1710 14]

Having pumped both on many occasions I have pro's and con's for both and many have been mentioned. One thing I like about the top mount is the ease of getting to both side of the rig to get things or hook up lines. The climbing up and down doesn't bother me to much. The guys working the fire are working harder than I am so just suck it up. The view is nice but not nessasary especially with today radio's. We do a better job of communicating whats going on and keeping the MPO in the loop as to whats going on and what may be needed of him. (ie. open and close lines) The side mount is nice when ur in line pumping or being a tanker(pumper/tanker). It just seems easier to me. Just my 2 cents

[Tanker 10eng 140]

There are advantages and disadvantages as have been pointed out.

The engine often requires a much longer wheelbase, which makes it less manuverable, also requires more space in the fire house. It is more expensive. The design often leads to more preconnected lines which aften leads to the 1st engine blocking out the truck. It requires more linkages, which means more maintenance issues (which now can be eliminated with electric valves).

Safety vs. Visability has been mentioned. It is safer than standing in the street, but a lot of climbing on Ice covered running boards is a problem. How often does the pump operator actually stand at the pump panel? 1st most depts have very few fires and those they have are often single line and we go home. So do you need to be up there for hours pumping? Consider that the depts. the do the most fire (large cities) almost never buy top mount. Top mounts are praised for visability, but this is not always the case. If the hose bed is very high you can not see back. The new Pierce PUC I climbed up (one trip/fall on that ladder and you are out of the fire service) and all I could see is the pump panel. The salesman said you can see 360 degrees around if you raise the camera on the pole and look at the little screen on the pump panel. The sun glare ment I had to cover the screen with both hands to look at it (at night I bet the flashing light might be an issue). So not all top mounts have good visability. With the puc I might as well been inside a compartment.

Good points Barry, lets face it, its only am matter of time before NFPA or OSHA requires the pump operator on a Top mount pumber to be harnessed in while climbing up and while working the pump from above...

[x635 4,066]

It's easier to get to both sides of the pump panel with a top mount. Also, it keeps you away from the hose connections.

And, on narrow roads, muddy roads, steep roads, etc, it keeps you out of that.

With a Pierce PUC I just photographed, I noticed a difference between the original Pierce PUC demo. It is

actually a top-side mount pumper Getting up and down really isn't an issue, it's not any different from getting up and down from the hose bed or getting out of a really high Pierce Arrow XT cab. It puts the operator out of harms way. And this department uses a headset to communicate. And, intially, you don,t even have to access the pump panel to charge some lines.

As far as wheelbase, Austin FD uses them almost exclusively with their engines, and they manage to get them anywhere.