Front Bumper Crosslays

[Fireboy226]

I was chatting with my Captain today and we were discussing pros and cons of crosslays located on the front bumper (2 - 200 ft 1-3/4"). I was wondering if anyone that is using this configuration can share some insight on the benefits and or the drawbacks of having them located on the front bumper rather than next to or above the side mount pump panel.

Thank you in advance!

[FIRE117]

One benefit of a front bumper crosslay, is fighting vehicle fires on a roadway. If you happen to park behind the burning vehicle, you can stretch the hoseline from the front bumper directly forward to the vehicle fire. The apparatus is parked behind scene to block traffic.

This past week, I was on scene of a school bus, that went across the oncoming traffic lane on a highway and into the ditch. While on scene, several of us nearly were roadkill from a fast moving semi tractor and trailer. Each incident on a highway is different, but the same idea of scene protection from traffic is the same.

[FyredUp]

My former volunteer FD had a custom cab HME engine built with front bumper crosslays. Ours had 2-200 foot 2 inch handlines and the hosebed was full width with the sides of the bumper trough open like a midship crosslay.

What I liked about them was whern we did a rural fire attack and we pulled straight in the attack lines came right off the front and our rear suction allowed the folding tank to be set right behind the engine. For in town we just pulled up in front of the house and the lines came straight off the front right in line with the fire building. Fast, easy, deployment of lines with no climbing or reaching up to pull the line down and even better fast, easy, reloading with 2 people with no climbing on the side of the rig to do it. We saw no negatives with this set up.

[HuntPA]

The other big advantage is that they can go to either side of the apparatus without a thought. We run 200' of 1 3/4" on ours and it is great due to its flexibility in use.