Chances of Vehicle Award????

[arhaney]

Our current engine is 11 years old and Mississippi will allow credit on our rating until 15 years. Problem comes in with our county, they are waaaaaaaaaayyyyyy behind on replacing 350 GPM pumpers in the rest of the county(much less replacing our 1000 GPM). This means we have a very small (non-existent) chance of having our truck replaced when it's due, thus we will lose our rating! What are our chances with FEMA on a replacement vehicle. We are a rural department.

Alan

[SLY4420]

Not good chances. A 1996 vehicle replacement is not near the needs of many other departments.

A good rule of thumb is that with the amount of applications, apparatus won't be replaced until the 20 year mark, minimum.

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

Judging by the pics on your web site the fleet is slightly newer. Rural setting with lower call volume and population means an older average fleet edge is needed before you'll be competitive enough to beat the computer. A bunch of folks I'm working with are in the 30+ range for average fleet.

But since you don't have to decide between vehicle and ops this year, why not take a shot at it? Worse thing they can say is no, which is better than not asking, gives them a chance to say yes.

[Flochief]

Hey Brian,
Our Engine is a 94 model, our tanker is a 88 model and we have an 03 squad. We are wanting to add a quint or a brush truck to our fleet. We do not have but one 4 story building in our area, but the adjancent town who we have auto aid has probably 10-15. Their station cannot hold a quint either.
Should we apply for the brush truck or the quint? How much is the cap on brush trucks?
Thanks,
Glenn

[onebugle]

The first step in determing a project is a thorough needs assessment to determine the department's priorities. Once completed a decision needs to be made is it a viable grant opportunity; will it be funded based on the PG etc.

One of the key questions in the application is;

How many occupied structures (commercial, industrial, residential, or institutional) in your jurisdiction are more than four stories tall?

In your case it would be none. Going for a quint probably is not the best route to go. Statistically the evidence is not there to support it and the application would probably not make it past the computer. Your neighbor would have a significantly better chance if they were able to house a quint. It appears that the mutual aid question will be gone this year, so the only way to bring up that issue is in the narrative. If the application does not get past the computer no one reads the narrative.

As for the brush truck the PG states:

Regardless of the type of community served, there is more benefit to be realized by funding fire departments owning few or no vehicles of the type they are seeking than there would be by providing vehicle funding to a department that owned numerous vehicles of the type being requested.

If you have the statistics to show the number outside fires, would help in jusifying the grant, you probably have a better chance with the brush truck than the quint.

I don't believe the age of the apparatus will have an impact on trying for a brush truck. This is a vehicle that has a purpose entirely different than a tanker or pumper. If you were going for a pumper or tanker age is a factor.

Case in point, our average fleet age in '05 was 11 years. We still succesfully replaced a brush truck that was 16 years old.

We recieved a grant for $135,000 to fund the brush truck.

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

What he said.

Especially the part about not having a brush and possibly needing one in the rural setting. Of course the assessment & statistics have to support the need for one, but a quint isn't going to happen. Without many, many 4 story buildings a quint app isn't going to beat Big Blue.

[Flochief]

That's the reason I ask you guys. Ya'll are sharp. I appreciate all your help and input.
I thought we might could stand a chance for a quint but I knew the only way would be go after the auto aid angle. I know their chief wants one but they are still not making any plans for another station yet.
Any way I am getting my computer warmed up to apply for Firefighter physicals, FIT testing equipment, SCBA's and a Cascade system for equipment and a brush truck for vehicle.

Thanks again!