firefighters: what piece do you ride?

Helicopter

 

Another day on the job


Here are my other daily drivers

 

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Not to highjack the thread ... but I am just curious what brand of aerials, platforms, pumpers or CFRs that you use, and/or like.

I worked for several fire apparatus manufactures and was part owner in one ... so am curious what brands you liked and disliked ??

Not talking about the 2 main pump manufactures, Hale & Waterous, but the main apparatus brand names.

I know most of the companies very well (except for the newer ones).

PS ... When we built them, we referred to "engines" as pumpers and the word "engine" was used to describe Detroit Diesel, Cummins, Cat or etc. that was most likely coupled to an Allison automatic.
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All but one of our apparatus are E-One. I've been in for almost 5 years not and I'm really pleased with E-one. I work a day crew job for a town near by as part time and they have a crimson. Its a nice truck and rides pretty good but i think it has way too many electrical components. What I have come to find out is, if its electrical its going to fail sooner than a manual part. The E-one I drive is almost 10 years old and still runs like a champ. Fast off the start and max speed is 68. We have a 2005 E-one and I believe that the 2001 runs, handles and operates better. We just purchased a 2010 pierce contender (lower budget end of pierce trucks, Thanks alot city budget cuts) and as far as looks its pretty good. We added air ride on the rear end and the damn thing rides almost better than my taco. But thats about all I can say for it right now. I havent used it much since it is out of service.

 

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Doing this without googling and spelling may be off ... Bob Wormser & Ron Ours started E-1 by making aluminum mini-pumpers in a garage back in maybe 1974.

E-1 (Ocala, FL) makes good equipment, but has had a learning curve with 6061T6 aluminum extrusions. They were close to number one in gross sales at one time.

Pierce (Appleton, WI) has always been E1s main competitor, especially in pumpers. Pierce builds a good truck too. Doug Olgivie made that company and sold it years ago. Ever notice an E1 logo and a Pierce logo (log oval) and how they look so much alike ... that was done on purpose by Wormser at E1.

PS ... You can build any unit to be fast ... just spec. a big engine in your bid. ...
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The pierce we bought was acutally made in Bradenton FL. I was talking to a few guys about flying to FL to look at a the truck and they though I was lying to them. I had to show them the plane ticket and pictures of me at the tampa airport before they would believe me. They build the contender, commercial chasis pumpers, and military apparatus in FL.

 

I have been a volunteer in a few different departments for over ten years as well as a paid EMT. At my current department, a small town with a paid chief and one day time driver supplemented by volunteers. I ride on either engine or the rescue truck depending on the type of call. We have two engines and a heavy rescue.

About the truck issue I only have experience with E-one, Pierce, and Sutphen. E-one has always been a descent truck for the money they can have their issues but I think they make a good product. Pierce without a doubt was the best especially in the 90's, however in recent years I think they are now the maker of the most not the best. My experience with Sutphen has been good so far they seem to make strong well built trucks. Its all in how you spec the truck and the time you put into designing a truck to suit your needs and assuring you choose the best components and best manufacturer for your budget.

 

ARFF ARFF!

 

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This a guess, but Pierce will probably build the high end stuff in Appleton. One of Pierce's biggest dealers was in Bradenton and that dealer was the first to take on E1 is E1's back yard and do well. They probably worked out a manufacturing deal.

Pierce (Appleton plant) had some of the highest quality in the business, with E1 being real close.

I have worked with both of those companies and they build some good stuff, but you get what you pay for.

Try to keep a semi-open spec. when bids are sent out, that will keep the dealer from shafting your dept.

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Every chief usually has a favorite brand that he wants and tries to spec that unit .. but the dealer can take advantage of that too.

As far as "platforms" ... IMO, Sutphen & Bronto Skylift make some of the best in the world ... platforms, not super for climbing though.


I am not too crazy about Sutphen's coach work though (depending on which plant did the body).

IMO, The ideal platform would be a Sutphen or Bronto Skylift and have a Pierce or E-1 body (coachwork) on it.

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This market (CFRs aka Crash Fire Rescues) has changed a lot over the last 20+ years. Chubb (UK) & Rosenbauer (Austria) used to build the best CFRs.

But, Oshkosh (Oshkosh, WI) has taken over that market and builds some super equipment and perhaps the best in the world now. They are a very high quality military manufacturer too. A CFR is fun to drive, especially over "dutch blocks" on testing.

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The pierce we have seems its going to be a good truck but it has a lot of plastic under and inside the cab. I think we will have some issues with minor parts from vibration and things comming loose.

 

The issue we have is our chief. This man was brought in for two things budget cuts and trying push out all of the older guys. He gave us about 100,000 less than what we normally have to buy a truck. I would by typing for hours if i went in to detail about how bad he has ruined our department. Ill put it this way, he has about 10 lawsuites from the union and about 8 personal lawsuites from idividuals against him. it will take our department about 10 years to recover when this guy leaves.

 

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This is becoming a trend everywhere from the PSDs, Chiefs and in business with the CEOs and top execs everywhere.

Cut budgets & push the older (and more expensive) workers out and hire younger ones at a lower pay scales with lower retirement bennies (if retirement bennies at all).

Atlanta is lowering the retirement points from 3% per year to about 2 % or 2 1/2% per year and will be raising minimum years.

The top dogs will protect their "Golden & Platinum Parachutes" and throw the worker bees under the bus.

The retirement systems (except feds) in the US are UNDERFUNDED by TRILLION of dollars.

I saw part of this mess coming and cashed in my chips in my late 40s. And it will get worse in the future.

Like it of not ... if "John Q Public" wants more services or just to keep the services that he has ... his taxes will have to go up.
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I didn't get to see the news bit, but a teaser on CNN showed a (apparently rural) fire department standing by, watching a house go up in flames because the owner failed to pay some sort of annual fee for fire protection.

 

Only if firefighters were smart enough to use spell check. And if anyone wanted to be around children they would have become a teacher.

 

Gotta love those big motors...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si1RsHSbUUA?version=3



Yea I was in a hurry....

 

Lol...Laying down some rubber on that corner!
course it was prolly just dust, but what the hell, it looked cool!

 

Yea just dust, however the inside rears will leave a nice patch if you lay in it hard coming out of a tight turn.... Try not to do that to often though.

 

E-ONE Quint