I agree with you guys, but a lot can be said about the trained personnel, tools and equipment that the squirt carries. I believe that the best Truckies don't care what taxi gets them to the fire as long as Mongo can break stuff when he gets there! Think about it, we are the guys that will grab a rubix cube from an engine guy who has been working on for hours, break it apart and put it together in 5 seconds. We make things happen.
Can't compare to the rolling tool box... It is sorta too much of both and not enough of either..... Our old "Scope eats them for breakfast.... First two replies pretty much nailed it.....
they are trucks for engine guys who want to be truckies..lol..had to say it sorry..they are considered articulating trucks with low rescue ability but cause of the mass of water some say it is a monster engine hey they need heros to..I can joke cause I went from truck to engine and back to Truck..so yeah i know both sides..
Sorry for being late on the discussion, but we had a true Squirt on a 1000gpm '68 International double clutch POS. It was a fabulous device we used it for above/below grade rescues and for interior attack. Now thats a real kick in the ASS when you punch that baby thru a wall or window and blow everything out the back. AH the good old days. As a "truck" not ours. You might remember that St.Louis FD years back had about 25% of its class A's with Squirts. A truck is a truck is a truck - weather it has a stick or a bucket. My old Squirt was retired in the mid 80's and sold to a sign company to hang billboards. How sad. It stayed in service for another 10 years of so and then went to scrap to make Honda's.