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To get rid of an engine or keep the engie
This is for all chiefs and past chiefs and officers, being a chief myself and in the fire department I am chief of we recently took delivery of a new rescue/pumper, however two of my current line officers want to sell or donate our old engine. We learned that there will be a 250 house development going in our district. I told them instead of us scrambling in a few years to replace the truck keep it, keep the repairs up and we will use it as our mutual aid engine, instead of using our rescue (we have one set of jaws). Our other apparatus include a 2500 gal tanker, an ambulance we use as a medical response, and a 250 gal brush truck, the rescue/pumper is 750 gal with a foam system and the engine in question is 1000 gal., by getting rid of the engine I fell we would be taking a step backwards and keeping our department behind the so called "8 Ball". So please to all member of Firefighter Nation, feel free to respond and tell me what you all think.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Justin Buck on
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i would keep it if u could afford it. u can never have to many trucks. do u have enough people on your dept. to man all the trucks. how many calls u get a year.
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Permalink Reply by Jeff Betz on
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I guess a little more information would be nice, but I would lean toward keeping it if possible (somewhere to put it, money to keep it up, etc). I don't know the age or condition, or the amount of responses your department sees, so it's a little hard to help you a real lot. Also, consider that some municipal bosses think that if you replace an engine, then it must be in need of replacement, so if you keep it, they might ask why they got you a new one in the first place. It's kinda like walking a fine line concerning what to do. Good luck to you.
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Permalink Reply by Brian Dumser on
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I would say if your F.D. can afford the insurance, maintenance, etc., then keep it as a reserve/mutual aid engine. Hopefully you've got room to house it also. Good luck and stay safe!
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Permalink Reply by Chris Parliman on
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Yes I forgot to put in we get about 250 - 350 calls a year the ranks of the department did decrease for a period of time, however we are getting more new members in the department and building the ranks back up again. The cost to maintain after the reapirs are done to the engine in question would be general maintence so it will be a minimal added expense on the budget.
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Permalink Reply by Joe Stoltz on
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I like the idea of keeping it. Like you pointed out, you could use it as a mutual aid engine and keep the RP with the Jaws in your own district. I always hated it when our tool set went out of town on a fill-in, for I believe in being prepared for a second call in the district while we're out at a scene.
It would also come in very handy as a front line engine in case the new one goes down for repairs. Which it will, unless you have better luck with it than we have had with ours.
We have also talked about getting rid of our small (1200 gal) tanker. There are two factions - those who want it gone and those who don't. We've finally agreed that if it ever needs major repairs, it's gone. Now, major repairs mean different things to different people; but unofficially I've made it known that I'd personally fund repairs on it to keep it.
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Permalink Reply by Paul Montpetit on
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We have a small department...when we purcheased our last engine we decided to keep the other and we use it a response vehicle for MVA's...we use the new one (CAFS) for all structure fires....works out great and it is always nice to have 2 engines available.....Paul
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Permalink Reply by Jenny Holderby on
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Do you have an ISO rating? From what I understand from your post, if you do let it go, you lose 1000gal of water. @ this point you only have 2 engines right? There are times that you do need 2 engines & what happens if the new one goes down while you are actively fighting fire? Why let it go if you have room to house it. Everybody wants to take the big pretty new truck but that doesn't mean you old one needs to go away. I agree, keep the engine.
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Jenny makes an excellent point. Having the 2 engines might improve your ISO rating.
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