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Top mount pump panel or side mount pump panel?
What is your thought we are adding another engine. The one we are replacing is top mount. But we want to keep the engines as close to the same. I like the top mount I feel shielded from traffic and power lines. We just bought a new engine and I want to keep them close to the same. So that the way I voted, I hope I am right on this one.
The bottom photo is are 2000 Pierce that we are replacing.
The top Photo is the McGinley we are thinking of copying with just a few changes. Adding CAFS like the Pierce and just a 1000 gallon tank instead of 2000 gallon like on the McGinley we now have.
Sorry I messed up the photo on the McGinley had trouble with that light and sent it to the salesman and it saved it that way.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Brian Dumser on
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Definitely top mount. I went through FAE certification on a 1992 Seagrave top mount. We've since gotten rid of them (we had 2). Now we have 2 Pierce engines with side mount pumps. I prefer the top mount because you could see the entire scene. Now you're screwed if the incident is on the officer's side of the engine, plus you're exposed to traffic and other hazards being on the side.
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Permalink Reply by capcityff on
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I prefer side mounts by far. Saves time if you are running around so you don't have to jump up and down. It eliminates that trip hazard from going up and down, especially if it's icy. I'm not too worried about traffic on a fire scene anyway. They won't make it into the block. PD should hopefully be blocking the roads and if they aren't there isn't room for traffic to get by anyway with the large responses that we have on a box alarm. Side mount also means the engine can be smaller which is probably not a big deal for you, but in a large city like mine it is. With the second worst traffic in the nation and small streets, it help to have a small wagon. That's the reason why most of our trucks are tillers.
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Permalink Reply by John Dobson on
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Michael, The Pierce is ok we have had some trouble just little things but my department felt a little screwed by Pierce on the warranty. They cobbled things up long enough to let the warranty run out. So no more Pierce for us.
Its all fixed now, We just have a revolving loan and its about paid off. If we don't use it may be 7 more years before it comes back open again. It is a first due out truck now I think we will keep it as a reserve or sell it if the price is right.
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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on
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I think you already have the differences in opinion here. Really the focus and decision lies with your dept and what the goal is. Top and mid mount pumps are only one part of the puzzle, there are also front and rear mount pumps.
I work for a dept where majority of our pumps have top mounted panels, but have operated side panels too. If length is an issue, then side/rear mounted is probably a better option. Really in the end I don't have a preference, we have mostly top mounted panels because that is what works for us here. In the end, that is how it is going to be for you, what you guys deem is important and what you want.
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It was before my time on the department. There were screws ran though the wiring harnesses. Screws stripped out of a panel on the back of the cab. It fell off as they were delivering it. In the photo look how the mudflaps on the back are dragging at that time. Now they have a big fold the springs are too weak. I think we are going to have it respringed if we keep it. Not real sure if that was there fault though. (We don't have it over loaded with tools believe me).
I know another department that took delivery of a Pierce rescue and had big troubles from the get go.
It is still a alright truck and I really don't want to bash it.
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The McGinley above is three feet longer than are Pierce. Length is a factor it is not going to leave much room to walk around it in the station. I worry about ice from the hose fittings leaking on the ground where I am standing. capcityff how do you deal with that? Maybe it's not a problem I don't know never pumped a side mount as a attack apparatus in the winter. Just are tanker to pump to the engine and it moves to refill then comes back to another spot the next time.
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Drafting with are tanker
Oh man I never thought about drop tanks. We use them all the time and they are a pain for side mounts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNE_rkfvt40&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ4O2hB21AU Here is another set up I help put in service for a fire. Our tanker is dumping in the video but it was a side mount drafting.
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Permalink Reply by ashfire on
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Could having a top mount be a pricing issue for some depts? Now we just ordered a new Crimson pumper and its a side mount panel. Being the unit has a enclosed cab it would mean a little more for a cab designed for a top mount panel. Then acourse our chief wants things has cheap as possible. He had to go with NFPA and county rules on ordering this pumper. The last two we bought had 340 water tanks with a 50 foam tank with with side panel.
We are going back to cans of foam with a inductor to be used when foam is needed. I don't think a station in our county has a top mount panel.
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Permalink Reply by Reid A. Lafave on
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For a rual dept. like ours where you only have 5 or 6 guys responding to a call until you call for mutual aid, top mount stinks because our engineer is doing more than running the pumps , they are up and down then up and down and doing everything a side mount is better for that, but on a city dept where u have a lot of guys on scene top mounts better because the engineer has a better view of scene and he can just stay up there.
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Narrow streets and the hedge row above sometimes make it not possible. When that truck was placed there it was for nursing ops not drafting.
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Permalink Reply by Greenman on
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I would say go with top mount! Safer on the highway, accessible form either side and offers the pump operator not just "better visibility" but "visibility" all the way around the engine.
I would lose the commercial chassis, though. They were never intended to be used as fire engines.
Greenman
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The county has rules on what apparatus will have and their design. They try to stay close to the NFPA standards. The county also has the right to say if a unit can operate in the county and what it will take to meet the standards to be used.
We have a combination system and the career side has control under county charter.
As to having pumpers with 340 gallion tanks with a low hose bed. Our chief use to be a volunteer chief of our dept then became a county career firefighter and worked his way up the ranks and retire the rank of Major or Assit Chief in our county and then returned to be volunteer chief of our dept.
He sort of has the pull to get what he wants so we got two pumpers with 340 Gallion tanks. This time he couldn't get his way so 500 gallions and low hose bed
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