Quint Concept

[keysim331]

This may be beating a dead horse on this forum, but here is my question. What do you think of a department implementing a full fledged quint program.

First some demographics:
My department serves a population of roughly 60,000 and 70,000 when school is in with and iso classification of 3/9. We have eight stations with nine and ten in the works, 8 engines, 3 ladders, 1 rescue and 1 shift commander. 106 personnel , 97 of which are rank and file ( 94 in our union ). The city has done some serious annexing over the past decade and a half, a lot of that needs serious water works ( some subdivisions have no hydrants ), narrow roads and homes that range from 4500 to 15,000 square feet built every imaginative place.

Second, how this came about:
The city wanted a survey done on the fire protection for our city. The guy from UT ( orange and proud of it ) came out and done a survey and said our problems would be best suited by us going to the quint concept. We were under the impression that this was going out of style, and that smaller, quicker apparatus was the way to go. I don't know?? We are just a bunch of dumb hillbillies.

Third, what do you think?
I am asking for your comments both from union and non-union sides. We have a whole new E-Board for our union and I am the new Vice-President and am wondering how to approach this from the union standpoint.
Any stats you have or places to go to find any would be great.

On another note any help for a new Local VP would be greatly appreciated, comments, recommendations all is welcome.
My e-mail is [email protected].

[DeputyMarshal]

We have a whole new E-Board for our union and I am the new Vice-President and am wondering how to approach this from the union standpoint.

From the Union standpoint? IMHO, stay out of it.

It isn't a Union issue because the type of apparatus you ride to a call isn't really something you can negotiate. (Your contract undoubtedly has a "management rights" clause that addresses this.)

[DeputyChiefGonzo]

This may be beating a dead horse on this forum, but here is my question. What do you think of a department implementing a full fledged quint program.

First some demographics:
My department serves a population of roughly 60,000 and 70,000 when school is in with and iso classification of 3/9. We have eight stations with nine and ten in the works, 8 engines, 3 ladders, 1 rescue and 1 shift commander. 106 personnel , 97 of which are rank and file ( 94 in our union ). The city has done some serious annexing over the past decade and a half, a lot of that needs serious water works ( some subdivisions have no hydrants ), narrow roads and homes that range from 4500 to 15,000 square feet built every imaginative place.

Second, how this came about:
The city wanted a survey done on the fire protection for our city. The guy from UT ( orange and proud of it ) came out and done a survey and said our problems would be best suited by us going to the quint concept. We were under the impression that this was going out of style, and that smaller, quicker apparatus was the way to go. I don't know?? We are just a bunch of dumb hillbillies.

Third, what do you think?
I am asking for your comments both from union and non-union sides. We have a whole new E-Board for our union and I am the new Vice-President and am wondering how to approach this from the union standpoint.
Any stats you have or places to go to find any would be great.

On another note any help for a new Local VP would be greatly appreciated, comments, recommendations all is welcome.
My e-mail is [email protected].

Brother Keysim...
The ammunition you need for your arguments against the "TQC" (Total Quint Concept) can be found in your post

Your demographics have the reason against having quints in the following line:

The city has done some serious annexing over the past decade and a half, a lot of that needs serious water works ( some subdivisions have no hydrants ), narrow roads and homes that range from 4500 to 15,000 square feet built every imaginative place.

The amount of water you carry on a Quint is limited.. 300 to 500 gallons, if youi are lucky.

The size of a quint makes it unsuitable for narrow roads.

We have McMansions like the one you describe.. nice, long narrow driveways that can barely fit a standard sized pumper, let alone a quint( at least they areas have an excellent hydrant system). Imagine having to stretch a supply line from the street, then having to wye it off with hgh rise packs just to mount an initial attack*.

Now let's talk cost. A friend's FD recently speced out a quint... 100 foot aerial, 500 gallons of H20, a 1250GPM pump, twin screw rear axle ( required due to Fed regulations and vehicle weight)...estimated cost for the rig is $1.2 million. I don't know hopw many "quints" the "Consultant" (who, by the way, does not have to live in the community ands will not have to deal with anything pertaining to his recommendations), said you have to get, but the cost of buying one or two quints pays for a lot of water mains and hydrants for your non hyrdanted areas.

Staffing levels: I am sure some "brainiac mutt" at City Hall will come up with the idea that since you have a "wondertruck" that can do the job of two ("well, the appratus salesman told us that that was true, he wouldn't lie, would he?"), then we don't need as many firefighters to protect our fair city, do we?

*Okay. now scroll up and reread the section about having to handlay a supply line up a narrow driveway. then wye it off for initial fire attack.. now picture it with reduced manpower.

My 3 cents worth (I have to get it in before the 13th of January, as my promotion will increase the cost to at least a nickel )...

Stay away from the TQC!

[MEck51]

I believe St Louis is doing a total quint project. I haven't heard anything about it in a while. Maybe you can contact some of their people for an idea of how it is working, pros & cons.
As far as the union not getting involved. I think that is a bad idea. There are many concerns that the union needs to address. Staffing issues- will this lead to cuts? They may say no, but look out for atrician ( I know I must have spelt that wrong ). What about response times? If it takes longer, the people will start to complain, the FD is supposed to know how a change will affect this and the FD will look foolish not the council. There are a few other things here, but I don't have the time to get too in depth. But take some serious time before you send out a decision.

Congrats Capt Gonz on the promotion.

[Catch22]

As far as I know, St. Louis is still doing the quint concept. It must work (for them at least) as they have an ISO 1 classification. I do know they have quite the mix, 50', 75', 100' quints. Best bet would be to try to find info directly from them on how they make it work.

I'm not a big fan of the concept, myself. My career department started to go to the concept with our old chief. Now we have a new mindset and 3 of 5 stations with 75' quints. In the right circumstances and with the right mindset, I'm sure it could work (as it apparently works in St. Louis).

To me, the cost is the biggest issue. If you're looking at a station with three apparatus (two engines and a truck), I can see the benefit of consolodating into two quints, as ISO will count each truck as a full engine company and half a truck company, so you still get the same ISO for two trucks instead of three. If you're limited on manpower for some reason, it might be a way to increase your man/truck ratio.

Equipped and specced right, they make a versitile truck. Our engines are commercial cab four door chassis with top-mount pumps, so we can get our quints (custom cabs) in about anywhere the engines can go. Once you get into a 100' stick, you're talking tandems, and like Gonzo said, you're going to have fit issues on a lot of roads. But at the same time, you don't need 100' unless you have a building that tall in it's district.

[mdcook]

Lots of Quints

keysim331, you might want to contact one of your brother FF's in Rochester, NY. They mostly have quints, but backed up by a midi-engine, so they are still rolling a quint and midi out of most houses. Not much savings in equipment dollars.
Otherwise I totally agree with CaptainGonzo. Tell the politicians, or beat it in to them, that the money can be better spent on water mains. If you have a 1500 GPM pump in a non-hydrant area, how much water can you really supply to it? You don't list any tankers for your department, so how do you get water to the scene in your rural area? Tell the politicians that by improving the infrastructure they can start getting that 9 ISO rating down, but have some numbers to back up why decreasing their voters insurance rates will make them look good at the next election.
I am from a village with old, narrow streets and our neighbors quint can not make some of the turns, so we go with a shorter wheel base on all of our trucks. Don't let the politicians have all the say about what trucks they order for you. It doesn't do any one any good if you have some monster truck that every time it turns a corner it damages the truck and any parked cars near by. Been there, seen that happen and it gets very expensive for the municipality.
Above all else, do not let them cut your staffing! Once they start down that road, every one looses.
Good luck

[DeputyChiefGonzo]

Posted by Catch 22

Once you get into a 100' stick, you're talking tandems, and like Gonzo said, you're going to have fit issues on a lot of roads. But at the same time, you don't need 100' unless you have a building that tall in it's district.

I beg to differ, Brother. Setbacks from the road can require the need for a 100foot stick or better. Take the typical apartment complex. You may have parking spaces in front of the building, which can add 20 or so feet to the setback, Figure in 30 feet of lawn, now you are contending with 50 feet of reach needed before even getting the stickout of the bed and onto the roof. Add 3 to 4 stories, and you are just about at max extension for a 100 foot aerial.

[dday05]

[QUOTE=The city has done some serious annexing over the past decade and a half, a lot of that needs serious water works ( some subdivisions have no hydrants ), narrow roads and homes that range from 4500 to 15,000 square feet built every imaginative place.

Second, how this came about:
The city wanted a survey done on the fire protection for our city. The guy from UT ( orange and proud of it ) came out and done a survey and said our problems would be best suited by us going to the quint concept. [/QUOTE]

Maybe they should survey the option of getting a tanker or 2. If you have areas with no hydrants in some areas. Can you lay a line from a hydrant ,to any areas where you don't have any? The quint would be nice until you run out of water. Good Luck !!

I see the forums are messed up again.

[Catch22]

I beg to differ, Brother. Setbacks from the road can require the need for a 100foot stick or better. Take the typical apartment complex. You may have parking spaces in front of the building, which can add 20 or so feet to the setback, Figure in 30 feet of lawn, now you are contending with 50 feet of reach needed before even getting the stickout of the bed and onto the roof. Add 3 to 4 stories, and you are just about at max extension for a 100 foot aerial.

I've got to remember that not every town is like the one I work in. Here probably 90% of the homes aren't set back that far, or we have enough room to wiggle into a position to reach. Of the others, most are set too far back for even a 100' stick and we have to use ground ladders. Even with apartment complexes, we don't have to deal with significant yards. Maybe parked cars + 10'. Nonetheless, you have a point that's likely applicable to a number of areas.

[WBenner]

Good Luck

What is wrong with the way you run now? You state you have 8 engines and 3 ladders and 1 rescue. 8 stations 9 & 10 in the works..I'm sure you're response time is good. And if water is an issue why not buy a couple of tanker's. It's really not your say but if the City is asking for your Locals input and I hope they are. But in most cases they don't. I'm not saying the quint concept wont work but just simple apparatus placement will make a big change in the way you operate.

As for becoming a VP..Good for you to many Brother and Sisters like to sit back and do nothing and when somthing goes wrong they are all over you with a grievance..As for an executive member you need to remember your their to represent the local and not yourself. You move when they ask you too. Yes you get an opinion but the majority rules and to many executive's forget who voted them in.

[Ben3131]

I worked for St. Louis FD for a short time. I now work for the Columbia (MO) FD.
St. Louis has thirty 75' quints, 4 Trucks (with pumps, tanks, and hose), 2 Squads, etc. Two of the trucks are 125' straght sticks, 2 are 100' platforms. Enignes and trucks are staffed with 4, Squads with 6 guys.
The SOP's are built around the quint concept.
A still alarm building fire gets 3 Engs, 1 Truck, BC
A first alarm for a building fire gets 5 Engs, 1 truck, 1 Squad, 2 BCs, Deputy Chief.
The first engine does "Engine work" Fire attack, establish their own water supply.
Second engine does "Truck work" The crew splits, 2 inside, 2 outside. Forcible entry, Search (without a hose), a 24' ladder to the front, 35' ladder to the back, ventilation, Etc.
Third engine is "backup water". They lay a line from the scene to another plug. The crew pulls another hoseline if needed.
Fourth Engine can be a toss up. Usually what the incident demands. Sometimes to the roof, sometimes another line, sometimes dealing with exposure issues.
The Fifth engine is always RIT.
The Truck does truck work. Usually they cut a hole in the roof. If the truck arrives first they are fire attack and operate as an engine.
The STLFD definetely made the quint concept work.

My current department has been switching over the quint concept over the past few years. All new apparatus (except squads) have something that goes in the air. When STLFD buys apparatus they buy 30 Engines at a time. We buy a truck or two a year.
We operate out of 8 houses with 2 more on the way. 8 Engines, 2 trucks (with pumps and water), 2 Squads, etc. We are usually staffed with 3 man companies so our SOPs are nothing like STL.
I could go on and on about this because I have been immersed in the quint concept with 2 different departments. I understand it and I like it. Its not perfect. One thing is for sure, you'll never have a lack of aerial streams when the "Big One" strikes.
Let me know if you have any other questions. This can be a messy subject.

[N2DFire]

As my gran pappy used to say - "I got no dog in this fight" (Translation - I have no opinion either way - what works for one Department may not work for another & just because some cities opted to use quints as a staffing reduction tool doesn't mean all cities will - it's all in the plan's design & implementation - so long as you are aware that it can happen.)

That being said - In addition to St. Louis (and slightly closer to home) - check out the City of Richmond VA, the went TQC some time in the Mid to Late 90's.

Here's their PR "spin" on the TQC - try contacting some of their rank & file through the union and see what they think of it now.

http://www.ci.richmond.va.us/departments/fire/operations/quint.aspx

Especially in light of the 2004 4 Alarm fire that destroyed 6 blocks.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/functions/print.php?StoryID=20040326-112658-7929r

(And no I'm not blaming the losses on a switch to Quints - just citing that as a major fire that heavily taxed firefighting resources as a learning experience - looking back would they have rather had other apparatus besides all Quints or did having so many aerial streams available actually help the situation)

[upstater]

It's important to remember that not all quint concepts are created equal. The St. Louis quint concept and the Rochester quint concept have the following things in common:


1) We both have quints.


I don't know anything about St. Louis other than what has been posted in this thread, but it seems to be the case that all companies are equipped and trained for both engine (water supply and fire attack) and truck (vent, ladder, search) operations. The companies are then assigned to one or the other depending on how they are due on the assignment. (Somebody tell me if I'm wrong, by the way...)

In Rochester, the quint/midi company is expected to do both types of operation, at the same time. The same company that is inside with the attack line is also on the roof, at the pump panel, placing a ground ladder and down the street at the hydrant. Accountability roll calls for a quint officer are not easy.

Every quint/midi company in the city is located at what used to be an engine/truck house, so what used to be the work of two officers and six firefighters is now the work of one officer and five firefighters.

I know that other places have had different experiences, but for Rochester, the implementation of the quint/midi concept was for the purposes of staffing cuts. Budget reductions were demanded, and this was a way to reduce costs (manpower) without closing any actual firehouses. Over the space of about ten years, Rochester went from over seven hundred members on the line to about five hundred.

Does it work? Sure. The fires go out and people rarely get hurt. Is it better than engine/truck? Maybe, I don't know, I've never tried it It's just like anything else - you make it work, because that's your job.

Keysim, is it right for your department? I don't know that either, but I would continue to research it very carefully. Don't get one because it's fashionable, or because a city councilman heard the term somewhere and he thinks it will save 3/4 of a cent per 1000 assessed.

I agree with the other posters who said that water infrastructure would probably be an investment that pays off.

I'll answer any questions that I can, either here or through private message.

Good luck!

[quint1officer]

$1.2 million for a 100' quint? What compartment are they keeping the gold bars in?

[upstater]

I don't know what ours cost, but I'm certain that it's less than that, and ours are 110' with 1500 gpm...