8500 gallon Tanker

[RedDgUNH]

My departmet currently has an 8500 gallon tanker. Only about 5 people are allowed to drive it. It has a 500 gpm pump (which it can't do) with 2 discharges and 2 intakes. I don't like the truck. And I have been trying to convince people that we should get rid of the truck. It leaves the station probably 4 times a year to a fire. I think it is two big and ties up the scene too much. Plus it can't be used in a shuttle and at a big fire the gpm's needed are greater then 500 gpm's a min. What do you think?

[Spfd32]

How old is this vehicle? Are the people who pushed to buy it in the first place still in the department? If it only runs 4 times a year in a cost analysis of maintenance and use it is likely to be costing the department money. However I do know of a neighboring department here that has a 3000 gal with a portable pump to discharge water with.

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[502]

Hmmm Lets see, the truck only leaves the station 4 times a year, the pump does not operate properly, I assume there is no quick dump, once it gets to a scene it sits there and can't be used for a shuttle, tell me again why you keep this money eating monster in your station? My Dept operates a 3000 gal tanker with a 500 gpm pump (that will)and a 10 inch quick dump on the rear, Half the battle in a rural water supply setting is being able to get to and from the water supply in a timely manner, 8500 gal is great until it's gone. three trips with one 3000 tanker is 9000 gal,so if you have a 3000 and a 1500 at two trips ea. is 9000 gal etc. etc..and with a setup like that the scene would not be clogged up with a money eating monster that when empty is just in the way.you just dump and go, also if your manpower status is like the rest of ours this smaller truck with two 1 3\4 preconnect's make an excellent first in truck for daytime, car fires, trash fires ETC...



[This message has been edited by 502 (edited 01-20-99).]

[Captain Hickman]

Sounds like a department which I know very well. Several years ago one of our past fire district board members obtained a vehicle simular to what you discribed, only ours was 5000 gallons. It made one run in a year. It took the one an only person capable of driving the unit 45 minutes to deliver and dump his load. During the same time our 2000 gallon tender and mutual aid units delivered 15000 gallons of water to the scene. At that point, pressure was place on the fire chief to remove the unit from service. Several meetings between members of the department, the fire chief, and district boardmembers occured. It was finally removed from service after the chief and boardmembers were advised that many of the bridges in the district were not designed to handle such large loads. By the way, the tender named "The Valdez", the fire chief, and the district boardmembers are no longer around.

[dc14398]

Safety! Do the math. 8.3x8500=70,550pounds of water. This does not include the vehicle. Most areas 80,000 pounds is legal road weight. Check the apparatus weight. Get total weight and each axles weight. Check the axles rating and the tires rating. I think you will find that your vehicle is over weight. Safety !