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Fire Apparatus Wheel Chocks. What's your SOG?
Most engines come equipped with a wheel chock mount.
Osha Requirements
OSHA Requirement 1910.178(k)(1) states, "The brakes of highway trucks shall be set and wheel chocks placed under the rear wheels to prevent the trucks from rolling while they are boarded with powered industrial trucks.
NFPA 1901
Two wheel chocks, mounted in readily accessible locations, each designed to hold the fully loaded apparatus on a 10 percent grade with the transmission in neutral and the parking brake released.
Fire Apparatus Chocks - Questions:
1. Do you use them regardless of whether you are on a grade?
2. What do you do to remind you that you "chocked" the tires?
3. Do you tether your chock to the engine to prevent loss?
4. Any insight about how to correctly use a wheel chock?
5. NFPA 1901 recommends using (2) wheel chocks, do you?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by masonfire30 on
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2 wheel chocks one in front one behind rear tire any time we are not in station
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Permalink Reply by James Burton (Jamie) on
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Same for us, 2 chocks back and front on Drivers Rear Wheel, every call. We train our guys to do this and they always do. Our Chocks are the Metal type folding style, and they are stored just in front of the wheel in question.
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Permalink Reply by Greenman on
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When I first started I chocked the wheel of the engine I was driving when I parked it at our local park for a festival and the Chief laughed at me and asked "watcha doin' that fer? NOw when the next guy starts it up he's goin' run over that there chock."
So, I guess you can tell we don't chock our tires...
Greenman
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Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on
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And if they don't chalk the truck tires... well...
Seriously, can you chock tires when snow and ice are a factor?
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We did in the Army. The geometry of the tire rolling onto the chock keeps the tire from being able to roll. Maybe it would still slide downhill; it would be a great experiment to watch!
Greenman
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Don't you live where there is snow and ice? Being on the left coast, and not having any experience driving in snow, I was thinking along the lines of would you even need a chock block? Could you find it in the snow? Let me know if you do an experiment.
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Permalink Reply by Fireman Larry on
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Those dreaded chocks, let me tell yuh a tale about those things. We had a new driver that couldn't stop complaining about putting them out, every time he parked the rig. One night we went down to Sta.1, to fuel up. He was whining all the way there, we exited the truck, the Lt. had a meeting with the Commander, I had to fill some low bottles, the Engineer had to turn the pumps on, so we all headed inside. I returned with some full bottles at the same time the driver did, the rig was gone, it had rolled away... No Chocks were set...
On my dept. It is mandatory, that the Engineer, sets a pair of chocks, 1" forward and rear of the Front left tire, every time, he exits the rig. Whether it's on a call, out for inspections, training or just at other houses. The only time, the chocks aren't set, are in the house.
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Permalink Reply by Moose on
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Well, I guess a good point to make here is a story that I heard from my father-in-law who is a career firefighter. He was operating the pump at a big fire in a 4 story building with heavy fire involvement. One of the volunteers from his department was walking around the front of the engine after getting a pack and the truck suddenly took off, running this guy over and killing him. Apparently there was an issue with the transmission and it jumped from "Pump" to "Road", and there was no chocks or air brake applied. It was a huge fire and no one thought of it. My father-in-law is still to this day devastated by it after seeing the rig drag this guy down the road. He stresses to ALWAYS chock the tires, both sides, regardless of grade for that reason.
Just thought I would share that and hope that we all chock the tires.
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Permalink Reply by Tom Wallace on
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we Carry two on each piece of apparatus. they get put inplace on every call
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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We are required to chock a tire both front and back when parking anywhere other than in the apparatus bay.
Engines - driver's side rear, outside tire.
Quints - driver's side front. The outriggers lift the rear tire out of the chocks.
TDA - driver's side tractor rear.
We also require a driver 360 prior to moving the vehicle, period.
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