While crusing the FD websites, I noticed that some companies have alot of support vehicles. One department only had 2 engines but 4 support vehicles, mostly chiefs and presidents sedans.
We have the state hazmat unit, a rescue 3 engines ambulance and field piece and only one support unit, a van. Are we doing something wrong? Should we get rid of a couple of engines and get a Tahoe or two....J/K
My company runs a Truck, a Wagon, and a Utility "support unit" Truck= 2008 E-One 100' strait stick, Wagon= 2008 KME 1500GPM w/750 tank, Utility= 2008 Ford F-350 Super Duty. The Fire Chief, Deputy, Assistant, and Battalion ea have an issued officers vehicle.
Let see we have no support vehicles all we have is 2 main attack engines 1 reserve engine 1 3500 gallon tanker which can also be used as an engine 1 3600 gallon tanker and 1 brush/rescue truck that we use to pull our air/rehab trailer when needed. All of our officers use thier own pov to go to the scenes.
Permalink Reply by Rich on October 27, 2008 at 1:19am
4 engines, 1 Heavy Rescue, 2 Medium Rescues, Currently 1 Quint (sold the second but awaiting replacement), 1 Tower Ladder, 1 Tech Rescue Bread truck, 1 Tech Rescue support box truck, 5 Chiefs Suburbans (4 active one spare...dont ask about the spare it was cheaper to buy after the lease), Fire Police truck.
Now to Support there is Department and District trucks.
District's- a dump truck with plow and sander, pickup with lift gate (old as poo but still around for the lift gate) and plow, pickup with plow and sander, Commissioners suburban, Tractor with flat trailor for Antique trucks, fire inspectors truck, district mechanics truck.
Department's- Dually pickup, Van, Suburban, 2 Antique Mack Engines
Support vehicles are really dictated by your area and needs. Sometimes its better to have a pick up then a Class A engine.
What a cool question to research and become familiar with... holly cow we have a lot of stuff... here's a preliminary count...
2008 Santa Barbara County Fire Department Fleet Inventory
Emergency Response Equipment:
Type 1 Engines (34)
Type 2/3 Engines (3)
Type 3 Engines (11)
Ladder Trucks (2)
Telesquirts (2)
Foam Tenders (3) Note: These are not tankers... tankers have wings and fly in the air carrying water...
Hotshot Crew Buggies (3)
Hotshot Crew Supervisor 4x4's (3)
Air & Lighting Unit (1)
Ambulances (5)
Construction Section:
Dump Trucks (2)
Bulldozers (3) and the Semi and Trailer that go along with it...
Dozer Tender 4x4 Pickup (3)
Weed Abatement Chipper (1)
Multi-Grader (1) and the Semi and Trailer that go along with it...
Hilltown Twp. VFC has two engines (a 2001 Pierce Saber & a 1979 Hahn), a heavy rescue (1997 Freightliner / PL Custom), a Quint (1997 Simon-Duplex / LTI), a Tanker (1990 Mack - 3500 Gallons), a QRS (1999 Suburban), a technical rescue trailer that is shared between us and a neighboring company, and a county technical rescue trailer. The QRS acts as a utility or a special service if it goes on a fire call, and tows one of the trailers.
1 Pumper (thats an engine for you city boys) 2 Tankers, 1800 Gal. 3600 Gal., 1 Rescue/Euipment Van, 1 Brush Truck, 1 polaris 6x6, 1 mass cauatly/Decon Trailer.... Our Brush truck pretty much does everything,Support, transport, towing. We just don t have the budget to be able to purchase 1 use rigs. we need do everything rig thats tow, fight fires, Haul and dump water.
3 front line engine companies
1 reserve engine
1 ladder company
1 medium rescue
1 brush fire unit (former military humvee with a 200 gallon pump/tank skid unit
1 air unit
1 fire investigation unit (a donated and refurbed "bone box")
3 command SUV's
2 4x4 pickup trucks
1 van ( mechanic/motor squad)
3 equipment trailers ( mass decon, trench rescue and confined space rescue
1 Avon inflatable boat.
A new engine and tower ladder have been spec'd out.. bid opening is Thursday November 13th.
The oldest of the three front line engines will go into reserve status.
The tower ladder replaces Ladder 1, which has been out of service for over a year.
our VFD has 3 pumpers with 1500gal capacity, a brush (we call it grass) truck with a 500 gal capacity, rescue truck with VE equipment and structure firefighting equipment not found on the pumpers. we also have a trailer that has our parade stuff in it, a hand drawn pumper from the 1800's and assorted flags, etc. our dept does not have a chief's vehicle or other assorted cars.
We have 2 pumps which are 1250 gpm and 1000 gallon tanks
1 pump with 1250 gpm and 800 gallons
2 tankers, 1800 and 1200 gallons
1 brush truck, 250/180
1 ambulance
That's it. All chief officers use their own POVs for response. No compensation for gas/fuel or mileage.
Well we dont have a suport vehicle, On our Dept. We only have 1 primary engine, 1 backup engine/extrication, 2 tenders and 2 brush trucks. Our Chief sometimes drives to the sene by pov, but most of the time is on one of the responding units. We have a verry large district one of the bigest in Idaho, with a small roster. Everyone pitches in where ever it takes, to get the job done, and come home safe.