Tiller Truck Companies

[dcbnh]

Anyone know of a dept. that went from tillered ladder companies to straight jobs and is thinking of going back to tillers?

[ArmyTruckCompany]

Philadelphia FD (30 Truck Companies) recently went back to ALL tillers, with the exception of 3 snorkels and 2 Mack Scopes. 10 years ago, the fleet consisted of about 12 tillers, 6 buckets of some sort, and the rest rearmounts. When the FD spec'd the new ALF tillers, they got a deal on a large purchase. Additionally, they realized that the rearmounts were way to long to drive around some of the 'hoods. The only rearmounts left are spare pieces.

TILLER NAKED!!!

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"Loyalty above all else, except honor."

[DCFD1051]

The DC Fire Department began to purchase rearmounts in the late 70's and early 80's, including two monsterous 135 foot E-Ones and two Grumman tower ladders. They were nothing but trouble. Several of them were wrecked (totalled!)in accidents, and the remaining (with the exception of one tower ladder) are slowly but surely being phased out. As of the end of this month, we will have 13 tillered units, 2 rear mounts and one tower ladder in front line service, with several tiller units in reserve status.

[This message has been edited by DCFD1051 (edited 04-20-2001).]

[Engine 101]

LA City Fire is all tillers, They just recived delivery of some brand new ALF Tiller Trucks, Pasadena, Arcadia, Sierra Madre all have tillers





[This message has been edited by Engine 101 (edited 04-20-2001).]

[johnusn971]

Originally posted by DCFD1051:
The DC Fire Department began to purchase rearmounts in the late 70's and early 80's, including two monsterous 135 foot E-Ones and two Grumman tower ladders. They were nothing but trouble. Several of them were wrecked (totalled!)in accidents, and the remaining (with the exception of one tower ladder) are slowly but surely being phased out. As of the end of this month, we will have 13 tillered units, 2 rear mounts and one tower ladder in front line service, with several tiller units in reserve status.

[This message has been edited by DCFD1051 (edited 04-20-2001).]

This question isn't intended to start a war, however, reading and what not leads to this question.

How does DCFD go through so many rigs, losing so many to accidents? I know we have accidents in the City too, but it is a major doing if the rig is totaled. This seems fairly common in DC. And by fairly common, I mean more than once every 5 years.

Doc DC3

[SAY_WHAT]

joshusn971

For not trying to turn this thread into an arguing match you did a good job. Before asking accusatory questions you should first, exam the number of runs for each unit in DCFD, then average out the number of accidents per capita.

Finally this thread is about companies who went from tillered ladder companies to straight trucks and are thinking of going back to tiller trucks.

[This message has been edited by SAY_WHAT (edited 04-22-2001).]

[NozzleHog]

Like the ol' man always used to say..."Son, real ladder trucks bend in the middle!"



Yeah, baby!



[This message has been edited by NozzleHog (edited 04-22-2001).]

[ENGINE18-3]

Hell yeah they do! I love our Mack CF Tiller! There are only two in the County, us and Camden City.

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The statements above are my own opinions

FF Greg Grudzinski
Oaklyn Fire Dept.
Station 18-3

[FEOBob]

We have had ,and mostly still do have, non-bending ladder company apparatus, but plan on replacing our tiller with another. Using modern concepts such as pre-piped waterways and such, but with both steering wheels.

[johnusn971]

Originally posted by SAY_WHAT:
joshusn971

For not trying to turn this thread into an arguing match you did a good job. Before asking accusatory questions you should first, exam the number of runs for each unit in DCFD, then average out the number of accidents per capita.

Finally this thread is about companies who went from tillered ladder companies to straight trucks and are thinking of going back to tiller trucks.

[This message has been edited by SAY_WHAT (edited 04-22-2001).]

Take a real close look at the last line. I did say, common as in more than 1 every 5 years. DCFD has had two rigs lost this year alone. I am not accusing of poor pratices. I am asking a question. NYC is not immune to accidents. However, ours are rare compared. Either that, or yours are just recieving WAY more publicity.

Doc DC3

[DCFD1051]

Hey Doc,

Yes, lately we have wrecked some apparatus here in DC. But it is not as common as you are assuming. Two of the rearmounts that we wrecked crashed into each other at an intersection enroute to the same box. One was totalled, the other rebuilt. A tower ladder was totalled after it tipped over at a job (operator eror in setting the jacks!) I'm not sure of the underlying causes of these accidents, but, I think, one of the problems is that we have had a high turnover of personnel in recent years, so we have a lot of younger guys on the job. It takes experience to be a good driver, so hopefully things will get better as time goes on.

[Nate Marshall]

It certainly sounds like a people problem.

Perhaps they need stricter hiring standards.
Better training and a new chief.

2 aerials crashing into each other really says a lot about the people of DCFD.

[DCFD1051]

Nate Marshal,

The purpose of this thread is to talk about tiller ladder trucks, not to bash fire departments. As for your comments about the DCFD, what would you know about driving or figthing fire in an urban setting? Accidents happen in a busy deparment. Some are preventable, some are not. People make mistakes. As for your comments about the personnel in my department, the DCFD employs some of the finest, most knowledgeable and agressive INTERIOR firefighters in this country. But, then again, what would you know about that?

[Tentruck]

DCFD1051 Couldn't have said it any better Brother. DCFD is a fine organization, and anyone that doesn't work here or know people who do, wouldn't understand. Tillered Trucks are it baby.

[This message has been edited by Tentruck (edited 04-28-2001).]

[FireLt1951]

The city here tried to do away with tiller rigs. Now they are finally realizing that in some of the nieghborhoods, tiller rigs are a neccessary apparatus and have gone back to ordering them.

DC1051 & TenTruck, give Nate hell. He seems to enjoy knocking every department east of Colorado. Get your head out of your rearend Nate and put a post worth reading on this forum.

[This message has been edited by FireLt1951 (edited 04-29-2001).]