Check out the new aerial tip lights

[efdcapt115 1,511]

VES has a small piece this week about a lighting system for an aerial made up by a DCFD truck company:

What do you think?

http://www.vententersearch.com/

[PFDRes47cue 653]

VES has a small piece this week about a lighting system for an aerial made up by a DCFD truck company:

What do you think?

http://www.vententersearch.com/

Nice system. WIll these project as much light as a traditional lighting system?

Potsdam FD's new Tower 5 has a strip of blue LED's running the entire length of the ladder. This helps us to better see while climbing up the ladder during heavy smoke condition and it also allows people from the ground to see the ladder through smoke, snow, dark skys etc. It also looks pretty cool!

Pictures of the lights on T5.

[Alpinerunner 61]

LIKE

[efdcapt115 1,511]

Nice system. WIll these project as much light as a traditional lighting system?

Potsdam FD's new Tower 5 has a strip of blue LED's running the entire length of the ladder. This helps us to better see while climbing up the ladder during heavy smoke condition and it also allows people from the ground to see the ladder through smoke, snow, dark skys etc. It also looks pretty cool!

Pictures of the lights on T5.

Very good idea. I actually like that probably more than the DCFD idea. Because what about the first time the DCFD truck has to use the tip to break through a window or it smashes up against something? They look kinda vulnerable at the tip, no?

[PFDRes47cue 653]

Very good idea. I actually like that probably more than the DCFD idea. Because what about the first time the DCFD truck has to use the tip to break through a window or it smashes up against something? They look kinda vulnerable at the tip, no?

I was actually going to say the same thing. If the ladder is going to be resting on the roof, it would appear the lights would be crushed. However, with that in mind, LED strip lights are fairly cheap to replace. I'm sure the truth about the products success will come out after its first fire application.

[Danger 160]

I was actually going to say the same thing. If the ladder is going to be resting on the roof, it would appear the lights would be crushed. However, with that in mind, LED strip lights are fairly cheap to replace. I'm sure the truth about the products success will come out after its first fire application.

That part of the ladder shouldn't rest on the roof, you need to give the ladder about a foot above the parapet/roof surface to allow for the load, and the tip normally won't be contacting anything since you should have at least a couple rungs above the edge. There certainly is some potential for damage eventually but with the frequency of that, they can probably afford it. These style of strip lights are 20 bucks at autozone

[PFDRes47cue 653]

That part of the ladder shouldn't rest on the roof, you need to give the ladder about a foot above the parapet/roof surface to allow for the load, and the tip normally won't be contacting anything since you should have at least a couple rungs above the edge. There certainly is some potential for damage eventually but with the frequency of that, they can probably afford it. These style of strip lights are 20 bucks at autozone

I agree that the tip should not be resting directly on the roof. That is with a good and knowledgable operator of course.

I can not see these lights competing with flood lights in terms of intensity and rangew

[rutola413 5]

I would imagine that the lights on the tip are probably recessed into the later to prevent them from being crushed. If not, I'm sure they are not that much $ to replace

[x635 4,066]

Very innovative. I love that idea, especially as an apparatus operator when positioning the aerial in the dark. Thanks for bringing this to our attention George!

I guess we'll find out how durable they are when a brave aerial operator puts their aerial through a window to vent or to knock down a parapet (if that's still even OK to do), lol.

It looks like if these lights were damaged, the aerial probaly would be too.

[Guest jcnyc]

You don't use an aerial to remove a parapet, not if you don't want charges when the tip has to be replaced. Those are going to be good till like everyone said you take a good EEW and bring it down off that sash!

[IzzyEng4 427]

I'm a big advocate against having any fixed lighting at the tip of an aerial ladder mainly because you loose a lot of mobility and have to constantly work around fixed mounted lighting. Mainly because of the added weight at the tip and also tactics when using an aerial ladder, but we can talk about that later.

However seeing this set up, the only concern would be damaging the LED strips on the tip by heat or if you needed to effect horizontal venting by taking out glass with an aerial (which you shouldn't do unless it is absolutely necessary). I do like this idea as one its low cost and easy to maintain, two you only have to run the strips off the normal operations of the truck batteries and not have to fire up the generator, three easy to replace, four will give you the proper lighting to see where you are stepping off of the aerial (provided there are enough lighting strips to give you a good number of candle watts) and five they are not in the way thus allowing full operation flexibility of the aerial at the tip.

I think if this was integrated better into the design in the future, we might have a win-win here. LEDs are taking over the roll where quartz lighting was predominant. Plus the fact that the amperes drawn from its power source are far less, its a move in the right direction.

[Monty 35]

Actually, you could probably do lots of retro fitting cheaply - now I don't know what it does to NFPA standards, warranties etc - but buy a bunch of cheap lights from ebay - put them in compartments, on ladders ....

[PFDRes47cue 653]

Actually, you could probably do lots of retro fitting cheaply - now I don't know what it does to NFPA standards, warranties etc - but buy a bunch of cheap lights from ebay - put them in compartments, on ladders ....

Ebay is great for LED light strips. You can also get them at Walmart, Autozone, etc. These are great lights for going aroud a cabinet to provide cabinet lighting. Also useful as foot lights. For example on the crew step of an ambulance.

[bob803 1]

I am sure the manufacturers are talking to their engineers.

[Guest jcnyc]

I'm a big advocate against having any fixed lighting at the tip of an aerial ladder mainly because you loose a lot of mobility and have to constantly work around fixed mounted lighting. Mainly because of the added weight at the tip and also tactics when using an aerial ladder, but we can talk about that later.

If you are concerned with two aluminum housed lamps on the end of an aerial you need to think again. Better off getting the guys at work in to the gym and weight watchers! And don't forget most aerials are only rated for a 250lb-500lb MAX tip load, that is unsupported weight.