I have worked off of both Rear mount and Midship mounted Aerial trucks and tend to favor the Midship.
What are everyone's thoughts (pro's and cons) on which apparatus is better? Also how about your thoughts on ladder vs platform and is a Quint really an Aerial device or just an Engine with a ladder?
Im gonna go by what my grand father would tell me. He would always say rear mount was the best. It had a bigger pump, more compartment space and if you were in an alley or really tight street it was easir to get the stick up and turn.
Chris I'll agree that Trucks did not have pumps. at least they didn't when my Dad was in the fire service but although pumpless ladder trucks are still out there I have a hunch that they are few and far between. LOL
I've never had the opportunity to work a mid mount. Nobody around here uses them.
A Captain I worked with and respected greatly was a big fan of platforms. He thought you could rescue more people with one than with just a straight stick. Thankfully, never had to field test that theory.
To me, quints are the bastard child. I realize that, due to manpower limitations, they may be a required piece of equipment. Quints shouldn't perform both engine company and truck company duties on an incident. That's were the problems begin. How do you effectively split your crew, unles your manning 8 to 10, to do search and recue, venting and hose advancment?
I work on a 55' telequirt and it's a pain in the rear we rarely use the ladder it is primarily just an overwieght engine. But we have 160,000 miles on it. It was put into service in 1998.
Ted, Actually, that is one of our two TDAs - it's the one Mick features in the Cancel the Engine group.
It is an ALF Metro/LTI.
It does not have a pump. It is essentially a heavy rescue on a TDA, with two sets of Genesis extrication tools, a lumberyard of cribbing, Rescue 42 Telecribbing struts, rope rescue gear, confined space gear, water rescue gear, two "lumberjack" chainsaws, a vent chainsaw, two K-12 saws, a PPV fan, Stokes basket, lots of hooks, and approximately 150 feet of ground ladders. The ladder is a 105-foot super-duty aerial that was actually designed to support a tower ladder, but which was converted to the TDA. It has a ladder pipe with a remote control that can be operated from ground level. (Think remote-controlled car or airplane controls for your ladder pipe)
It also carries a wide selection of hooks...lots and lots of hooks, and a large number of spare SCBA cylinders. It is our primary first response rescue rig and does most of the fireground truck work. It also carries an AED and BLS trauma gear.
We have a Spartan/LTI reserve TDA that we're preparing to re-tractor with a new Spartan MetroStar that matches our new engines. The trailer will be rehabbed and upgraded at that time. That rig will become our front-line TDA when the complete.
We also have two Crimson/Spartan MetroStar quints under construction.
The quints will have tandem rear ends and will be have rear-mounted 103-foot aerials.
They'll have the same 1500 GMP single-stage Waterous Pumps, twin-agent Class A and Class B Foam Pro injection systems, 500-gallon tanks, and approximately 140 feet of ground ladders. They'll also carry extrication tools, a saw selection, PPV fans, a TIC, and typical engine and truck company hand tools.
A long long time ago when I was a probie I worked a truck company that had a 100' mid mount stick. Now in my district there is a 75' rear mount stick. My vote would have to be with the mid mount due to the adaptibility.
My company runs a '94 Simon-Duplex LTI rear mount tower ladder. It is big and heavy at 52' long and 72,000 lbs and 12'+ tall, but we are in the early stages of planning its replacement and will probably go with the same thing. I have included a few pictures of it in action to demonstrate some of the things a rear mount can accomplish.
I don't think they exist, mainly because the bucket would interfere with the tiller cab, and also prevent the tillerman from getting a good view of the road.