POINTS TO PONDER
BY WILLIAM C. PETERS
EFFICIENT EQUIPMENT MOUNTING
When specifying apparatus, you can greatly improve efficiency if you make proper preparations for equipment storage. The first consideration is providing an ample amount of compartment space for your present complement of tools as well as possible future acquisitions.
NFPA 1901, Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus, indicates that “Equipment holders or compartments shall be provided for all tools, equipment, and other items that are on the apparatus. Equipment holders shall be attached firmly and shall be designed so that equipment remains in place under all vehicle operating conditions. All tools and equipment shall be readily accessible.”
Many imaginative methods of organizing compartments are available. Working with the apparatus manufacturer to mount the tools and make them readily accessible will result in the most efficient use of the available compartment space.
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(Left) Slide-out boards provide a very neat, orderly mount for tools. On this apparatus, a large number of tools can be accessed when the board is extended. Some slide-out boards are constructed of perforated aluminum pegboard, where mounting brackets can be easily changed. Mount tools as close as possible to each other to allow space for future additions. If you spread out tools too much initially, you might have to remount the whole board to fit in a new tool. (Photos by author.) (Middle) Drawers, especially deep ones, can hold a large amount of equipment. When these drawers are mounted high in a compartment, it might be impossible to easily access the contents. Drawers that pull out and tilt down make it easier to reach the contents. Shallow pull-out, tilt-down trays and shelves are also available. Mount tools placed on a tilt-down tray so that they don`t slide out or injure the person opening it. (Right) A hinged, swing-out panel makes excellent use of compartment space. You can use both sides of the panel for mounting equipment such as these rescue tools. If the compartment is deep, you can also use the rear wall. Swinging the panel open gives complete access to the three mounting surfaces. The heavy power unit in the bottom of the compartment also swings out to provide easy removal.
MAKING STEPPING
SURFACES SAFE
NFPA 1901 indicates that “All steps, platforms or ladders shall have skid resistant surfaces.”
One of the most common materials used in the construction of steps, running boards, tailboards, and unpainted surfaces on fire apparatus is aluminum diamond (tread) plate. While this material has the excellent properties of strength, durability, and lasting appearance, it unfortunately is not very skid-resistant, especially when wet.
There are several ways to enhance firefighter safety by making stepping surfaces skid-resistant. Some of these include overlays of non-skid metallic material, inserts, and perforation of the surface from below.
When preparing specifications for new apparatus, consider adding a line that indicates “all stepping surfaces should be made slip-resistant by the use of metallic non-skid material approved by the purchaser.”
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Aluminum diamond (tread) plate is very durable but not very skid-resistant.
APPLICATIONS
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(Left) The cab floor of this apparatus is covered with an aggressive rubber-type material. The step has a metallic, skid-resistant insert to prevent falls when members enter or exit with wet boots. Holes under the step allow for drainage. (Middle) The fold-down steps have a slip-resistant stepping surface, but the specifier should not forget to address the running board below. In this photo, the surface is covered with “Gator Grip” tread to prevent slipping. (Right) Overlays or inserts of metallic skid-resistant material (such as the back step of this apparatus) will provide better longevity and a more slip-resistant surface than the stick-on friction material shown on the pull-out step below.
EXAMPLES OF METALLIC SKID-RESISTANT MATERIAL
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(Left) Morton tread has a series of fine holes punched up from the bottom to provide a gripping surface. Since it is produced in thin sheet form, it lends itself nicely to overlay steps and surfaces. (Middle) “Gator Grip” was developed by Emergency One to make aluminum treadplate non-skid. A special die is used to punch holes from the bottom up, which allows drainage and makes the surface slip-resistant. (Right) Gripstrut is an expanded metal with wide openings that allow drainage while providing slip-resistance. These access ladder steps are made of Gripstrut, and in other applications it is inserted into openings in step areas. The lower platform shown here is made of Bustin Grating, a heavy open grate material that provides a very strong, aggressive, slip-resistant surface. This material is also suitable for overlays and steps.
WILLIAM C. PETERS is battalion chief, supervisor of apparatus, and a 22-year veteran of the Jersey City (NJ) Fire Department. He is a member of the NFPA Technical Committee on Fire Apparatus and the Fire Engineering editorial advisory board. Peters is the author of Fire Apparatus Purchasing Handbook (Fire Engineering Books, 1994), two chapters on apparatus in The Fire Chief`s Handbook, Fifth Edition (Fire Engineering Books, 1995), and the booklet Final Farewell to a Fallen Firefighter: A Basic Fire Department Funeral Protocol.
