Discussion about Squrts (tele-squirt)!

[batt2 145]

- what does SQURT stand for ?

I'm not sure whether it stands for anything (I'm sure if it does, this is the forum with people who whould know!) but it comes from a brand name "TELE-SQURT" which manufactured a piped waterway on the top of an Engine which can be telescoped to "squirt" water on fire.

I believe Stamford FD still has one.

[mfc2257 464]

Plenty of departments still have "Squirt" style apparatus. They serve as elevated waterways without having to spend the money for a truck At a minimum, they're booms with prepiped waterways with many having simple ladders attached like the escape ladder from an Aerialscope. They range most often from 50 to 75 feet. Many major manufacturers still make a version.

[Just a guy 493]

Thank You for the info guys... I know nothing about the fire service but the concept of a tele - squrt seems like a good idea. How is this regarded in the fire service, is it accepted as a good piece of equipment to have ?

[SageVigiles 1,194]

Its not particularly popular, probably because you could just as easily leave room for the ladder truck with a pre-piped waterway and simply pump through that, instead of taking up valuable real estate in front of the fire with a pumper that has no heavy-duty rescue capability.

[JBE 328]

It's an interesting concept. An Engine that has an elevated waterway for master stream deployment. I'm not sure how often it, or telesqurts get put to use by the departments that have them. There's quite a few departments out there that still use them.

[mstrang1 213]

Stamford Fire and Rescue does not have the squrt anymore. At one point, we had two of them, and both have been sold off a few years ago.

[Portsmouth OH Fire Buff 8]

Burlington Twp. South Plainfield, NJ? just recieved a 2010 Pierce Squrt. Edited August 12, 2010 by Portsmouth OH Fire Buff

[RescueKujo 130]

for those wondering about Squrts...here's a photo I took at a 4th alarm commercial back in 2005. These are both "squrts", with a firefighter on the aerial controlling the nozzle. Squrts can be used either unmanned and controlled from the turntable or like a true aerial with a person on the stick....

[mfc2257 464]

There have been three squirts in Westchester over the years. TS-1 I believe was in Elmsford or the Greenburgh vicinity. TS-2 which was re-numbered as e-245 was in service in Millwood until last year and TS-3 which I believe became E-250 was in service with Mohegan roughly until he time that L-35 was purchased.

[IzzyEng4 427]

Having an Squirt or a Snozzle (elevated master streams without an aerial device) are still a very good and viable instrument for firefighting in my opinion. They can reach down alley ways, get into windows of an upper floor, ect. to get at a well seated fire. Of course just like a regular aerial device, the operator has to know how to properly use it too. I love watching Bridgeport Engine 1 (Big Red) working at a major fire when they utilize their Snozzle at a job. Just another tool in the bag.

[JBE 328]

Squrts, discuss. Thank you.

[Alpinerunner 61]

http://squrts.org/

[dadbo46 50]

17-5-1

[osufire90 18]

Syracuse Fire Dept has been ordering telesquirts with all of their engines for almost 30 years, but recently took delivery of 2 new engines without telesquirts on them. First time in 30 years an engine has not had an elevated master stream on it.

http://www.syracuse.ny.us/Syracuse_Fire_Department_News.aspx#New%20pumpers

[TR54 239]

Fairview FD (Greenburgh) Tele Squrt 1 , Originally a 1965 Sanford Pumper Gasoline powered motor - > 1980 Pierce 50 foot aerial , Diesel powered motor.

[exmrvfc 0]

The old TS1 from Fairview can be found at the Poland Fire Department in upstate NY.

[v85 212]

I thought a squrt was an apparatus that had the elevated nozzle, but no ladder.

If a squrt can have both, what is the difference then between it and a straight stick?

[sfrd18 360]

Stamford Fire and Rescue does not have the squrt anymore. At one point, we had two of them, and both have been sold off a few years ago.

Yup. Actually, the SFRD had four at one point. They were:

Engine 1, out of Central Fire Station # 1(Headquarters) w/Truck 1 and the Deputy Chief, a 1988 Mack CF/Ranger 1250/500 w/a 50' squrt

Engine 4, out of East Side Fire Station # 4 w/Engine 9(also a squrt) at the time, a 1974 Oshkosh/Duplex/Pierce 1000/350 w/a 50' squrt

Engine 5 out of Woodside Fire Station # 5 w/Rescue 1, a 1979 Pemfab/Hamerly 1000/400 Pumper w/a 50' squrt

Engine 9(which also served as Engine 6 for a time at Headquarters), out of East Side Fire Station # 4 w/Engine 4, a 1986 Pierce Dash 1250/500 w/a 50' snorkel.

I'm not sure, but I think Station # 4 had two squrts running at once, however, I'm not sure how they were staffed. If I'm not mistaken, either Engine 1's or Engine 9's squrt was the last to be sold off.

Edited November 10, 2010 by sfrd18

[mfc2257 464]

I thought a squrt was an apparatus that had the elevated nozzle, but no ladder.

If a squrt can have both, what is the difference then between it and a straight stick?

A squirt is an elevated water way constructed out of a boom. They really aren't intended to be used as truck companies even when they are equipped with a ladder mounted on the boom (think Aerialscope where the ladder is merely an escape route down the boom if the FF's cant get out of the bucket on the ground) as they have very small and low mounted handrails and other attributes that don't lend themselves to being regularly used to work off of. Some departments use them this way, but the ladder is really more for emergency evacuations and FF safety when needed.

A straight stick is a true ladder where every aspect of its construction is intended for daily use and heavy work at a fire from the height of the hand rails, to tool mounting, oxygen supply, lighting, size of the rungs, and other safety features.

Edited November 10, 2010 by mfc2257

[v85 212]

Thanks. I was wondering about that when I saw the pictures

[wraftery 1,275]

Fairview (West) had a squirt that we trained on with some live burns in urban renewal areas. One I recall was a freestanding Carvel store which we were able to get going pretty good ( No exposuress to contend with. It worked well using it the same way you would use a TL...get low and shoot upwards toward the ceiling. It was small enough to get in close, unmanned, in small places where a buckket won't fit.

Virginia Beach has 1 Squirt out of 21 Engine co's. It is located in an area with those beach style houses on stilts, with narrow streets and alleys. It seems to fit well in this type of neighborhood where full sized aerial devices won't fit. Some of you might have seen their 1st due district. It is at the southern end of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. If you drove that way on a trip, it's where you said "Boy, I bet those places would make a good fire." And you were right...several times.

[16fire5 693]

Fairview (West) had a squirt that we trained on with some live burns in urban renewal areas. One I recall was a freestanding Carvel store which we were able to get going pretty good ( No exposuress to contend with. It worked well using it the same way you would use a TL...get low and shoot upwards toward the ceiling. It was small enough to get in close, unmanned, in small places where a buckket won't fit.

Virginia Beach has 1 Squirt out of 21 Engine co's. It is located in an area with those beach style houses on stilts, with narrow streets and alleys. It seems to fit well in this type of neighborhood where full sized aerial devices won't fit. Some of you might have seen their 1st due district. It is at the southern end of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. If you drove that way on a trip, it's where you said "Boy, I bet those places would make a good fire." And you were right...several times.

I read an article about a department in an affluent suburban/rural community using a 65" squirt as the first due engine. I seemed like a good option for tight driveways and gave a stable ladder to operate off for chimney fires and venting peaked roofs.

[TR54 239]

I thought a squrt was an apparatus that had the elevated nozzle, but no ladder.

Thats a Snozzle

No Ladder to climb

[TR54 239]

It worked well using it the same way you would use a TL...get low and shoot upwards toward the ceiling. It was small enough to get in close, unmanned, in small places where a buckket won't fit.

Lake Mohegan Tele Squirt working. Photo TR54

[JBE 328]

Philadelphia still has a few Squrts floating around. Articulating booms.

[JBE 328]

Here's Enfield's Tele-Squrt and Philly Squrt 57

[wraftery 1,275]

The easiest way to identify an articulating boom is by the Phone and CATV wires hanging off the elbow.

OK, FDMV guys, somebody must have pictures of that.

Edited November 11, 2010 by wraftery

[spin_the_wheel 460]

I always thought this rig was neat, not a squirt or snozzle, but a mini snorkel on a small wheel base ALF. The problem I have with alot of thses quint type rigs, is they are usually billed as the do all "swiss army knife fire truck". Problem is alot of places espiecially volunteer don't have the manpower to run this rig as its billed. They usually end up acting as an Engine only, because there isnt enough of a crew to work both sides on an initial attack. The idea works better if alot of your fleet includes these sort of rigs. I think St.Louis runs almost all quints, and the roles of the rigs and crews change on every alarm, depending on who's first due. Makes for an interesting day for sure!

Edited November 11, 2010 by spin_the_wheel

[osufire90 18]

Yes, all of St. Louis front line fire apparatus with the exception of the heavy rescues is a quint. This may change in the next few years though...

[348 4]

Stamford has had several front line tele-squrts in service at one time or another. As stated earlier, it was a poor mans swiss army knife and IMO not practical. The master stream was not capable of high GPM(ours had adjustable nozzles) and the ladder was not rated as an aerial nor could be used like one. The squrts ladders were also short ranging in length from 50-65'. The rear mount also took away from the hose bed size and was extremely high relative to a normal engine. If you a need a truck, call for one; if you need an engine call for one because a tele-squirt is neither. Shippan (station 4) was given a tele-squrt when the truck was removed, Woodside( Station 5) was given a telesquirt when opened because it was a single company house, and Station 1 had one when it was "aquired" from Long Ridge VFD in the late 90's.Just my two cents.