By David W. Kerr
In Apparatus Deliveries, you will find many examples of new and innovative apparatus designs. Combination rescue/pumpers, quints, raised and walk-through cabs with command centers, top-mounted and enclosed pump panels, hydraulic ladder racks, light towers, rooftop storage compartments, and extended front bumpers are all examples of new designs and technologies that have improved apparatus efficiency, flexibility, and safety. These features have also added to the overall length, width, and height of apparatus. Historically, the size of apparatus has been a concern of urban departments; however, the ever-growing dimensions of apparatus have become an issue that deserves the attention of suburban and rural departments as well.
If you have been in the fire service since the 1970s, you probably recall the popularity of the quick-attack or mini-pumper. Depending on whom you ask, this concept was either the greatest or worst idea the fire service ever considered. These apparatus clearly had some advantages but often presented just as many disadvantages. There has always been a difference of opinion as to whether these units were quick-attack or mini-pumpers. The quick-attack designation referred to smaller and more maneuverable apparatus intended mostly for nonstructural-type fire response—i.e., brush, rubbish, vehicles, vehicle extrications, and off-road or limited-access locations. The mini-pumper designation generally implied a Class A engine on a smaller frame and chassis. This balance was often difficult to achieve with the available vehicles and firefighting technology of the 1970s. The firefighting capacity, most notably the pump and tank size and available gross vehicle weight (GVW), was often a major point of conflict. Many of these apparatus were either too light on fire suppression capability or too overloaded and often difficult or dangerous to drive.
In recent years, the GVW for smaller commercial truck bodies has been upgraded to 17,500 pounds. Newer and smaller diesel engines and braking improvements have allowed these chassis to gain regulatory and industry acceptance. The availability of these newer and more powerful vehicle chassis and the advancement of alternative fire suppression agents have together created another opportunity to reconsider the quick-attack concept. Compressed air foam systems (CAFS) with 250 to 300 gallons of water are estimated to have the same firefighting capacity as conventional engines with two to three times the volume of water. This combination can be safely carried on a commercial truck chassis as short as 21 feet with a wheelbase of 141 inches. This includes a CAFS skid mount pump, 250 gallons of water, and adequate compartmentalization for a crew of three firefighters. With the addition of a crew cab, four or more firefighters can be accommodated. Although the use of CAFS at structural fires may require different strategies and tactics, there are plenty of nonstructural applications that seriously justify reconsideration of the quick-attack concept. With many departments plagued by low daytime staffing or nuisance-type calls, response using a quick-attack type apparatus may offer a more appropriate level of service at a lower overall operating cost.
 (1) Front: brush bar, winch, tow hooks, and front trailer receiver. (Photos by author.) |
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In southeastern Pennsylvania, Point Pleasant Fire Company #1 is a 79-year-old, all-volunteer department providing fire and rescue services to residents in a 21-square-mile area covering three townships in Central Bucks County. We operate two Class A engines, a tanker, a heavy rescue, a dive rescue, two rescue boats, an air cascade trailer, a 4 2 4 field/brush truck, and an antique/reserve engine. We respond to approximately 125 calls per year, of which only one to three are actual structural fires. We are more often challenged by diverse technical rescue assignments including high angle, marine, and underwater rescue and recovery.
Our first-due response area is considered rural but geographically is diverse, ranging from flat, open farmland with new housing developments to state/county-owned parks with very dense and rugged woodlands to high cliffs overlooking a scenic river valley. Farmettes on single-lane driveways, some more than 2,000 feet from paved roads, and large executive homes perched on cliffs 300 to 400 feet above the river valley are common. Many driveways are gravel and only as wide as required for the homeowner’s sports utility vehicle; some cross small private bridges over creeks and streams.
The roads date back to the American Revolution and are two lanes, many with no shoulders, steep grades, low-hanging trees, and numerous narrow and covered bridges. The historic and rural nature of the area has resulted in limited major highway improvements. Structures in this scenic area include large wooden frame homes, barns, inns, lumberyards, and quaint villages—all with the potential for severe conflagration hazards. Approximately 95 percent of the protection district is without access to a municipal water system.
 (3) Top: The stokes and backboard can be secured sideways for off-road patient transfer to awaiting EMS personnel. |
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 (5) Driver’s side: 10-foot body, flush-mounted rear warning lights; the top of the body is at the same level as the cab-mounted light bar. |
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 (6) Cab: All controls and radios are dash-mounted to remove legroom obstruc-tions; seating for three firefighters; remote pump start controls on the dash. |
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Several commercial and high-challenge structures are located along the river but have limited access to the river as a source of firefighting water. Despite preplanning, alternative rural water supplies, mutual-aid agreements, and the use of tanker task forces and large-diameter hose, access and maneuverability on-scene are challenging and key tactical considerations. A single emergency vehicle improperly placed or too large to adequately access or maneuver on the fireground can bring any operation to a stand-still.
With these types of response challenges, we have spent significant time researching the most suitable type and size of apparatus for our vehicle replacement program. There has been a constant effort to obtain National Fire Protection Association-compliant vehicles with fully enclosed riding positions, large enough to carry the required water and hoselays but small enough to maneuver the area’s roadways. This has resulted in reducing wheelbases and cab heights and even providing rear-wheel steering on one apparatus. Roll-up and two-panel compartment doors have been specified to allow access to compartments while on narrow roadways that are often up against a guardrail or over a three- to four-foot-deep drainage ditch. In some cases, equipment such as portable tanks has been relocated to the driver’s or road side of the apparatus to allow for easier and safer access.
During the replacement of a Class A engine, our truck committee challenged several vendors for a six-person cab; a 1,500-gpm/1,000-gallon tank; 2,000 feet of five-inch hose; and an overall length and wheelbase not to exceed 28 feet/162 inches, respectively. This size was more typical of an urban apparatus, but not with the larger tank and hosebed capacity. This new apparatus was also more than three feet shorter than the 1963 open-cab 750-gpm engine it was replacing. Since delivery, this smaller apparatus with roll-up doors and shortened cab height and wheelbase has proven on several occasions the importance of compact apparatus design for access into long and narrow driveways.
When we authorized the replacement of our 4 2 4 field/brush truck, we identified the need for another diverse and highly maneuverable apparatus. It still would need to provide some field/brush fire capabilities but also would have to be suitable for towing and launching the rescue boats and supporting off-road high angle and technical rescues. In this capacity, the apparatus would need to support the transport of rescuers and injured cliff rescue victims when operating off-road. We also wanted upgraded and enhanced fire suppression capabilities to support access to difficult-to-reach structures when access by larger apparatus is restricted. Additionally, during daytime hours when drivers for the larger apparatus may be in short supply, other members could staff the quick-attack apparatus. The quick-attack apparatus would also help eliminate the need to run a Class A engine behind the heavy rescue for vehicle extrications.
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 (9) Top: CAFS skid-mount pump located below crating; extra straps for securing stokes when used for patient transfer. |
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The design challenge was to provide enhanced fire suppression capabilities while controlling overall dimensions and not lose maneuverability or functionality for off-road use. We investigated several alternative fire suppression agents including Class A foam and CAFS. Because there were no industrial risks or major highways, there was no prior need or financial justification for conventional foam systems. We evaluated the need for Class A foam, particularly CAFS, for wildland and structural firefighting, particularly for areas with no or limited water supply.
Following numerous vendor demonstrations and live-fire exercises, we selected CAFS because it did not require a larger pump or water tank and allowed the apparatus to remain maneuverable for off-road use. The application of CAFS by only one or two firefighters for a wildland firebreak or on the exterior surface of exposures or a conflagration hazard offers a new and powerful fire control tactic. These suppression and control activities could take place while other apparatus establish larger fire water supplies for aggressive interior attack. The addition of CAFS also allows for faster control and extinguishment of stubborn or hard-to-reach rural fire scenarios like hay or straw bales or salvaged tire piles.
Despite several unfavorable stories we heard about quick-attack or mini-pumpers in the past, the key project driver was a smaller and maneuverable apparatus with sufficient quick-attack fire suppression capabilities. Several members described it as a “supercharged field/brush truck.” With this concept in mind and research in hand, the truck committee developed a set of detailed functional specifications and contacted several apparatus manufacturers. Initial specifications included a heavy-duty 4 2 4 chassis (17,500 GVW); diesel engine; seating for three firefighters; 250 gallons of water; a 250-gpm, 125-cfm/95-psi CAFS pump/compressor; two 13/4-inch preconnect handlines; and a one-inch booster line. Compartments were provided for a small generator; a portable pump; SCBAs; hand tools; basic cribbing; and high angle rescue, ice and swiftwater rescue, EMS, and wildland firefighting tools and equipment.
 (10) Cab: portable radio, CO/ LEL/O2 meter, handlight spotlight located behind seat, map box, incident command chart, and command post light located behind seat. |
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 (11) Stokes storage position; extra hose rollers on both sides and rear for loading and unloading stokes when used for off-road patient transfer. |
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 (12) 14-foot ladder, two preconnects, two 10-foot suction tubes, fold-down steps to access top, large backup/scene lights, tow hooks, and trailer hitch. |
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The overall dimensions of the new apparatus were also kept within a foot of the existing field/brush truck dimensions. The stokes stretcher was turned sideways when in use to shorten the body length. This length reduction resulted in a larger angle of departure, critical when entering driveways from highly crowned roads. The booster reel was installed slightly below the hosebed floor to keep the height level with the cab-mounted light bar. Rear beacons were eliminated; flush mount strobes were added to avoid potential catch points for brush, and so on. We considered roll-up doors, but they added between seven and 11 inches of dead space at the top of the compartments, raising the overall height of the body. We compromised with two-panel doors to reduce the body height and allow for opening in tight spaces. Rope-type lighting was used in compartments to accommodate the compact design and to avoid dark areas blocked by equipment storage. We also specified a higher ground clearance, skid plates, and no low-hanging structural members or drains. We chose a rear-mounted pump panel to shorten the body length and keep the driver/engineer out of the path of oncoming traffic. Controls for the warning lights, siren, and radios were all dash-mounted in place of the AM/FM/CD player, ashtray, and cell phone holder. This design provided maximum seating and legroom for three firefighters. Front and rear trailer receivers were also provided for towing and launching the rescue boats and the air cascade trailer.
We are excited about this new apparatus and the many diverse functions now possible. We are pleased to have achieved these specifications in an apparatus that is only inches larger than the existing field/brush truck. We are confident that this combination of new technology and innovative design has given us our “supercharged field/brush truck.”
David W. Kerr is the captain, the training officer, and a member of the Tac 41 Truck Committee for Point Pleasant (PA) Fire Company #1. He has served in various capacities in the industrial and volunteer fire service since 1976. He received his bachelor of science degree in fire protection and safety engineering technology from Oklahoma State University and a master of science degree in safety and environmental management from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
