Pumpers and grass fires

[FF4020]

Do you use your class A pumper out in fields for a fire? If you do, have you every damaged the truck?

[lenny91]

We use our class A for grass fires, and yes we have damaged it. Only once and it was nothing serious. We have a crossmount pump and I usually have one of the guys put an 1 1/2 nozzle on the deck gun and run it from the panel position. It works well. It is not the first due to a grass fire, but if it is a big enough fire I see no reason to leave something that can help put it out sitting in the shed.

[mikeyboy]

We run a dispatch of combination Engines...........
We dispatch 2 Type ones (Structure Engines) and 3 Type three Engines, depending on the area and the time of year.
During Fire Season, the primary responsibility for the Type 1s is Structure Protection. The primary responsibility for the Type3s are for handling the vegetation (punching in hose lines, etc.)
In the off season, we will flip flop the dispatch...... 3 Type ones and 1 Brush Engine.
There have been numerous times that we have had an Engine return to the house with damage to it........ not saying it's ok, but at least the crew made it home safely.