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Does It Have To be Custom?
Been in the service for awhile and I always wondered why each and every peice of equipment has to be custom. We paid 138k in 1984 230k in 1989 and 500k 2 years ago for engines.I understand inflation but I'm sure if Seagrave, Pierce, KME etc could build one or two type of engines that 400k would go back down to 250-300K. Delivery times would be reduced.
Maybe do what the car industry does and offer limited options. High/low cabinet sides, certain number of discharges/intakes etc.
While I know this would never happen because for some strange reason your fires are different from mine, but think how much easier and cheaper it would be.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Andrew Salinger on
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Down here in Victoria Australia we have standard trucks across the range from brush trucks to pumpers to towers. While they may vary in size they are all based around a similar design. We recently took delivery of a new pumper and the pumping and locker layout is almost exactly the same as our 25 year old rig with the exception of modern equipment and some extra pump capacity. And it is the same truck as the three towns around us. The only custom part of the truck is the amount and size of hose we carry and the nozzel fittings
With brush trucks we can add things like deck guns and maby another outlet on the back apart from that every thing we need is already part of the rig.
Having a standard design for each type and size of truck makes things alot easier because you can be coming onto a large job as a relief crew and be put onto any truck and know almost exactly where things are and how it operates.
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Permalink Reply by Nenad on
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In Europe, also in Croatia, fire brigades buy chassis from producers like IVECO, Mercedes, Unimog, Scania, MAN, DAF , Volvo, Renault etc. The chassis can be comercial or specializated for firefighting.
Some truck producers have specialized customization in their program like IVECO Magirus, which is a part of IVECO group, specialized in producing firefighting vehicles.
Trucks with presign fire, have the same features like comercial: ABS, ASR, air condition, etc., plus stronger alternators, stronger air suply, better heat and fire protection of hydraulic, air, electric conductors etc.. The price of fire chassis can be up to 30% more than commercial. From outside they look the same.
Customization goes to specialized companies like Rosenbauer, Ziegler, IVECO Magirus or any other.
There are standards (European and local) in equipment, that define minumum. Maximum is limited by the amount of money.
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Permalink Reply by David Earl Gregory on
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Well, when I worked for ALF in the late 80's, I saw the increase in pricing across the board. Everything from fully equipped and ready-to-roll vehicles to parts and shop labor costs went up dramatically. Reason given when I asked why? "It's because this stuff is specialized. It's a limited market, not everyone has a need or want for a fire truck. It's government/taxpayer funded so, just like anybody else, WE charge more and we get it BECAUSE it's a limited market." Go figure? I told them they were going to price themselves right out business and, it turned out, a few years later, ALF filed for bankruptcy and was bought out by Freightliner.
It's the same deal in any so-called limited market. The fire, EMS, and police services need certain mission-specific equipment. The manufacturers and dealers for these things gouge the hell out of them because they can do it and get away with it. Look at the cost of building a school vs a similar commercial structure. The school will ALWAYS double or triple because it's a "government job" and rife with exploitability. (Newly invented word there)
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