Chains - what's your opinion

[1075thebox 1]

With the winter now upon us (Dammit), what's your opinion on snow chains, and when do you think they should be deployed?

[RES20CUE 40]

With "on-spot chains" standard on just about every apparatus in the Northeast (If you don't have them- there is something extremely wrong with your apparatus committee!) 6" should be a good time to place the "heavy chains" on. The "on-spots" do fine up to about 6", of course I'm speaking about heavy apparatus- smaller vehicles start having problems around 2-3 inches.

[x635 4,066]

With the winter now upon us (Dammit), what's your opinion on snow chains, and when do you think they should be deployed?

Tonight. LOL

[CG206 29]

Any opinions about chains on ambulances, besides the on-spot chains??

[RES20CUE 40]

Yes, we use Z-Chains on our ambulances, and they work pretty good. You can drive faster than on regular chains, and the "Box" doesn't bounce around as much as the on-spots. The only drawback is with the long runs to the hospitals from Somers, we tend to wear them out pretty regularly. But seeing how Mohegan has it's own Hospital, they should do you fine.

[mfc2257 464]

Food for thought.....

I find that around town on the twisty roads where you are turning, speeding up slowing down etc, that on-spots are great. However, when making long runs on straight roads, I pick them up. Above 20mph chains arent really doing you any good. You have inertia behind you and they aren't providing any additional traction at that speed. As far as stopping goes, once a rig is moving it is extremely hard to overcome the laws of physics chains aren't going to help stop the rig until you slow down below 15 miles per hour... In fact they can cause a wheel lockup easier at highway speed.

Also... Has any department even done winter weather drivers training.... We never have, but I think it's a great idea. Dr. Jones doesn't have to go out in the snow, but we don't have a choice. There are plenty of MPO's that have never driven in a foot of snow. It's not a bad idea in my mind to get one of the older rigs to the local school or train station on a bad day and let the guys figure out how the rig acts in a panic stop and accelleration. Also in the dry when the boost from turbo diesel's spools up it doesn't effect us. In the snow, a modern turbo diesel will produce enough boost and torque to get the largest of trucks sideways.