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Permalink Reply by Russ Marks on February 12, 2012 at 12:38am

It seems one of the issues is lack of budget, it maybe hard for some of you to believe, but yes there are still VFD that still operate on a shoestring, some do not have insulated garages to house equipment, so until you have been there done that, please do not insult those of us that are making do the best we can with what we have.  I take it as an honest request for ideas to help solve a real issue. 

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Permalink Reply by ashfire on February 12, 2012 at 9:41am

One thing to look into would be those waste oil furnaces or the wood burning furnaces that are in the magazines. Our dept has been talking about having to put up a storage building for extra apparatus because of lose of space in our station because of added units. We have talked about putting in a propane tank and put a heater unit inside to be operated by electricity for the fan and termostat and burn propane.  

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Permalink Reply by Don Catenacci on February 12, 2012 at 12:26pm

First of all, don't presume to lecture me on life on a small, underfunded, volunteer fire department.  I started on the POC FD in the village I live in 35 years ago when our entire annual budget was less than $5k, including equipment, utilities, training, and everything else that was required to run our little FD.  There were times when we were fixing things that we would pull out our wallets and kcik in to go get whatever we needed.  So I am not unknowing, or even unsympathetic, I am just fustrated that instead of seeking a realistic answer he is seeking some make shift answer that will result in a less than safe or satisfactory answer to a problem that re-occurs year after year after year.

 

I went on Craigslist for Merced California and about a dozen different funances, or furnace dealers, with NEW furnaces came up for under $1000, some under $500.  Be creative, search out non-standard place to purchase.  Go back to the governing board for the fire depatment and TELL them that whatever money they invested in their fire truckis in danger because of freezing temperatures freezing the piping, the pump, and the valves.  That repairs will cost far more than a small, high efficiency furnace.

 

There are realistic, efficient, safe, answers that offer a long term answer to this problem and there are makeshift less than satisfactory answers that will always be a pain in the ass.  

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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on February 12, 2012 at 11:25pm

Don,

I hope that your reply was meant to be towards Russ and not ashfire.

 

Looking at ashfire's comment they really have nothing to do with yours, but can see the comments applying to Russ. Just sayin.

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Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on February 13, 2012 at 12:06am

Russ,

If a *fire department* can actually afford to have apparatus and a building to put them/it in, then there is no reason NOT to be able to heat the building properly.  And, the OP pretty much said that freezing/below freezing temperatures are NOT uncommon, so garaging a vehicle without taking/making the necessary precautions is not a question of budget but one of stupidity.

And if a *fire department* is operating on a shoestring budget then they're not really a fire department, they're an organized mob with access to water or...they're hobbyists.

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Permalink Reply by Don Catenacci on February 13, 2012 at 9:39am

Yes, it was to Russ Marks.

 

Thanks for trying to alleviate the confusion.

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Permalink Reply by ashfire on February 13, 2012 at 1:36pm

There's one thing I was wondering about. If the one thing is money, like Don had in his, I would think there would be some way to get funds from the county, state or even grants for obtaining such things as heating items for a fire company building?

Maybe approuching a large company close to the area for donations or maybe buying the needed items for the publicity of helping the community fire dept.

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