Need help to prove my point...

[tgc204]

We are currently looking into buying a new fire truck, we want crew cab pumper ( contender or something like that ) But we have to prove what the department benefits would be at the officers meeting and then (even worst) to the city meeting. I want to know how it helped your department to have a crew cab pumper. We are also thinking of putting our jaws of life on that truck. Please i really need your help.. Any stories, comments and/or feedback is really really welcomed.

Thanks in advance for all stories, feedback and comments.

Charle Chiasson
FF, Fire Prevention Officer, Instructor

[AFD368]

Proving a Point

Tgc204

Is St. Leonard NB a rural area or a populated area? This would help determine if you “Need” crew cabs. What are the SOG’s of your Department, as to responding to alarms? Do your members respond to the station or go directly to the scene, in POV’s? Answering these questions could justify crew cabs.

We are currently looking into buying a new fire truck, we want crew cab pumper

Is this something that is necessary or as you indicated, something you WANT?

[TxFire]

Why would you not order one?

Attack the problem from a safety and liability standpoint along with an efficiency of operations slant.

Safety: Responders must be sitting in a seat, seat belted, while the vehicle is in motion; otherwise death or serious injury may result. Every text, model SOP, and NFPA reccomendation I have read in the last 10+ years has clearly stated or implied that sentiment. In effect it has become the industry standard!

Liability: If a agency knowingly and willingly allows their personnel to engauge in activities that are NOT legal, NOT in compliance with consensus standards (NFPA), or DO NOT follow the prevailing industry standard, they are liable for any damages, deaths, or injuries that may result in their complicity. How much money is your organization willing to pay when they are eventually sued?

Effectiveness: If you can only respond with seated, seat-belted responders, you are limited to responding to the emergency by the number of seats and seatbelts you have on a vehicle. Do you want to send a single apparatus with all the tools and equipment on it and only two people to do the job of 4 or 6? Do you want to spend extra money of a vehicle just to carry personnel around in? People are your most valuable resources. You cannot be effective by showing up with all the toys and no one there to play with them.

Jaws on the truck: I work in a primarily municiple setting. We carry some sort of jaws unit on all our company response apparatus. It has decreased extrication time (good for the patient)and increased efficiency (good for the FD). We have 3 units that carry full heavy rescue loads (Jaws, cutters, rams, cribbing, ect). they each cover 1/3 of the jurisdiction. All the other companies carry combo cutter/spreader units. The smaller combo units allow quick access when only a door needs to be popped or single cut or two needs to be made. If a wreck requires more equipment, we bring in a heavy rescue company to use their equipment as needed. FYI: 2 of our heavy rescue companies are class A pumpers with 3 man crews running out of a single company station. The other heavy rescue company is a ladder company running out of a two company station, that responds to the extrication in a rescue vehicle that carries extrication, dive, and rope/confined space, rescue equipment on it.