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Re-purposing apparatus
Has your company/department/squad re-purposed or re-assigned a piece of apparatus after it was replaced? I don't mean placing it into "reserve" status as much as, say, re-configuring an ambulance or "attack pumper" as a light rescue squad or Haz-Mat response unit. Or, has your department obtained some piece from another department and done so? What are some of the ways that your department has re-assigned an apparatus resource?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Joe Stoltz on
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Some years back we converted our 1985 Ford Type 3 ambulance to a manpower vehicle or squad truck. We equipped it with four SCBA and plenty of spare cylinders so that it was an effective squad truck for a RIT team. We stocked it with plenty of bottled water, and kept the on-board oxygen intact so that it also functioned as a rehab station. In a pinch we could have also converted it back to ambulance status. It worked out particularly well transporting an interior attack crew on mutual aid calls.
In 2001 we bought a rescue pumper that made the squad more or less redundant. Also it was beginning to have serious mechanical problems, so we took it out of service and sold it. The person who bought it quickly got tired of the outstanding fuel economy (8 MPG) and HE sold it. Those 1985 Ford ambulances had a bad track record.
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Permalink Reply by Engineco913 on
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The way costs are up, thats a great idea. Unfortunately with budgets low, by the time it is time to replace a piece of equipment, often more times than not, the one your replacing is 10 steps beyond the point it should be put out to pasture.
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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
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Re-purposing will work with the older units, but with more and more departments going with custom-built, you can pretty much get whatever you want on the used market.
Sometimes, you won't save that much money doing the refurb/conversion yourself. We were wanting a used, custom built med/heavy rescue to save money. We found what we wanted through a broker and saved over $100,000 in the process.
We re-purposed an engine, increased the size of the water tank, put on a Newton dump and started using it more like a tanker. Only problem is that is was a gas powered Chevy with a 427 and two speed rear axle. We have had many problems, so my advice is to carefully weigh it all and then make a decision.
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Permalink Reply by Shawn on
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Thanks for the replies so far. This was more of a quest to see what kinds of ingenuity have been employed...kind of a "hey, it's still in decent shape why not use it for this" kind of thing or an, "aw shit" temporary for a 1st due piece while waiting for a replacement after a mishap.
Keep them coming...it's been interesting. And thanks to all who have contributed so far.
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This works only in the aspect that whatever the vehical is you are converting can handle the load of being switched. I have read WAY TOO MANY NIOSH reports about "hand made tankers made from a military surplus vehical or was a differant piece of apparatus and the vehical was grossly underbuilt resulting in a LODD or severe injury. In some cases (and I assume yours) it works, but I don't know if I want the liability of converting anything that major to try and save a buck when the used market is flooded with inexpensive apparatus that would suit the need as well for about the same amount. If you don't rely on the engine as much to pump but to shuttle the water is has always had, thats awesome use as it was intended.
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Come to think of it, another example: We have a 1996 Pierce Responder pumper with 1250 pump, 1000 gallon UPF tank. In preparation for our new truck, and to replace the 1984 tanker pumper, we sent the Pierce to the shop to have a 10 inch quick dump installed in the rear. It is now in service as a tanker-pumper.
Gee, I'm on a roll: Our 1957 Ford tanker had a front mount pump on it, and when it was replaced in 1988 one of our members took the pump off, built a trailer and hooked up the pump to an auto engine. The trailer is complete with gas tank, radio, hard suction and a coupla rolls of 2 1/2 inch hose. The original intent was to be able to hitch up to it and take it to a water source, but it usually spends the summer months alongside the pond behind the fire house.
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Permalink Reply by Beth on
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Our dept. took the old ambulance and converted it into a support unit. Took the brackets off the floor, scraped ambulance off of it and added a trailer hitch. We also left everything the same so that you would have somewhere warm to warm up for a few minutes. It brings a coffee maker, cups, drinks, silverware, condiments and food out to long incidents (4+ hrs.). It also hauls our food trailer. We use the food trailer for fund raising events. Now no one has to find an available truck with a hitch.
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Permalink Reply by FF Nick on
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Well I'm not sure how many of you will be familiar with this, but the "Great State of Mississippi" has the ISO system where a commercial cab pumper is only "rateable" for 15 year and customs are good for 20. We have a 91 GMC Commercial cab that was front line (and is still great enough to be frontline today) and when it hit the 15 year mark the Rating buerau no longer classified it as a "Class A" pumper. We have an F-350 that had all of our rescue equipment on it. (Jaws, Saws, Airbags, EMS supplies, etc, etc) We took everything as far as structural firefighting off the pumper except for the two 1 3/4 crosslays and created a Heavy Rescue Pumper. We mounted the Power Unit for the Jaws in one of the compartments, bought mounts to mount the cutters, speaders, and other various equipment in the big side compartments, put big tool boxes in the hose bed to store cribbing, and rope rescue equipment/harnesses. I'd have to say the neatest thing we did was mounting the 2 hose reels for the jaws in the extended front bumper, it was there for just the looks, so we figured we'd use the space and see how it came out, which is very well I will add. We did keep some stuff on the smaller rescue and now we have 2 rescues, and it still is used as a frontline if we happen to be out and about in it, but I'd say its definitely earned its keep here at the station
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