Where and How Do You Store Your Blower, Extinguishers & K-12?



To safely store our K-12's (circular saw), and leaving room for our blower and fire extinguishers... we ended up fabricating an angled metal storage device for the rear compartment of all of our Type I Engines, which are all KME's and is shown above. We had to make our own, how do you do it?

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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on October 6, 2008 at 3:03am
lutan,

You're absolutely correct - storing oxygen and flammable liquids in the same compartment is not a good idea. If the oxygen cylinder leaks even a little - say goodbye to the vehicle and if it's inside, say goodbye to the station.

Ben
Permalink Reply by Tony P on October 6, 2008 at 3:04am
I'm with you Luke - that locker stinks! I'm fairly new in this Brigade - can only try to change things slowly...
Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on October 6, 2008 at 3:15am
Mike,

Do you guys carry composite (heavy metal or concrete-utting) blades for the K-12? I see what appears to be a carbide-tipped blade on the saw. but I can't tell if the red box behind the saw holder is a blade box or not.

Composite saw blades should not be carried in the same compartment with any gasoline-powered equipment - saws, fans, generators, or whatever. The reason is that composite blades are essentially diamond chips that are mounted into a mesh backing with a hardened hydrocarbon material. Over time, gasoline vapors can soften this hyddrocarbon material, which can cause the saw blade to disintegrate at 3,000 RPM or so the next time you crank it. We carry our
K-12 blades in a compartment with our hand tools to prevent this occurance.

We also carry our medical equipment in a separate compartment from everything else. This keeps it clean, and it prevents oxygen and fuel vapors from sharing the same compartment.

Nothing wrong with homemade tool mounts and equipment holders, either. My department has two Hackney tractor-trailers - a Hazmat and a USAR that started life as beverage transporters. We modified the existing shelving and built the equipment mounts and tool holders ourselves. The dividers, saw boxes, and Paratech strut mounts are made from wood. The wood works just fine for us, but we have to get the exterminator to spray for termites every couple of months. :-)

Ben
Permalink Reply by lutan1 on October 6, 2008 at 3:32am
I gotta give the CFA credit though Tony- they generally do some pretty schmick layouts on the trucks with shelving, drawers, cupboards, etc.

The "jaffa's" are a long way behind in this area, but have started to turn around in recent times with some of their trucks.
Aussie FirePermalink Reply by Aussie Fire on October 6, 2008 at 8:22am
They do things a little strange in these parts - PPV fans are banned, as are other nice to have (read essential) things like a Halligan. Don't get me started!
Permalink Reply by FETC on October 6, 2008 at 9:19am
All of our trucks are custom. Our truck committee specs the fabrication of our tools and equipment holders into the trays just like your picture above except, our blower is on a pull out tray to reduce the chances of a back injury when leaning in and our extinguishers slide into tubes to hold them in place.
Permalink Reply by Engineco913 on October 6, 2008 at 1:48pm
In my department we have them in seperate compartments. We have a high side compartment that has all of our extinguishers in it (every truck is identical) and our accident ahead/fire scene ahead signs and stands. Our Cutters edge roof saw is stored in the same compartment as the posative pressure fan in the rear compartment drivers side. The fan is put in face towards the inside of the engine to allow for a firefighter to quickly remove the fan and drop it straight down affording them access to the cutters edge. I do agree with Ben with the storage of EMS equipment in the flammable liquid compartment. That makes no sense at all especially when the compartment takes on the smell of the gasoline.
Permalink Reply by PFC Harmon on October 6, 2008 at 9:12pm
Im sorry dont want to hijack the thread but are you saying halligans are banned? Im curious what type of tools do you use?
Permalink Reply by Tony P on October 8, 2008 at 6:31am
A pull out tray like the one supporting the small genny and small PPV on our pumper? (As shown above) And with your "extinguishers slide into tubes to hold them in place" - are they like our tubes, hinged to lower them for lift out?
Permalink Reply by richard sees on February 14, 2013 at 2:34pm

I guess this reply is a little late but here it goes. We just got a new rotary saw and a new cutter's edge. Well they were put in a compartment with the old chain saw we have where we also kept the gas for that saw. Well now we have all the saws and all the gas including the gas for the fans and other power tools in the same compartment. I made a comment about storing the gas with composite blades but I could be talking to the wall for all the good it did. They checked with the dealer and he has never heard of such a thing so I'm ignored.

Permalink Reply by FFN WebTeam on February 14, 2013 at 4:20pm

Nice to see another quality thread resurrected. Photo by one of our staff of a Maryland department's engine and one of their compartments holding saws, fans and extinguishers. - FFN

Permalink Reply by Timothy John Dodson on February 14, 2013 at 4:42pm

Why are those things banned? Those are "must have" tools and equipment of the fire service.

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