Rescue51

Anyone know why this rig did not seem too successful in the market? Was it weight? Maintenance? It carried a ton of water. Anyone with San Diego Fire-Rescue recall what the tank size was for the rigs San Diego operated? I could not find photo attribution for that photo below, sorry. I think one of San Diego Fire-Rescue's had a rollover crash while out on a grass or wildland fire near Brown Field (Otay) if I recall correctly.

OES 418 could be running out of Fs2's, not sure, maybe rolling in on some of E1's first-ins.

I've noticed OES 418 seems to have been operating for some time out of Lakeside FD's Fs1. Does anyone know what's up with Engine 1? This is way too long for regular maintenance on the first-line pumper (E1) to be using OES 418 for so long.

It is a shame that so many of these trucks have been reduced to running 80% medical aids. The expensive trucks are run into the ground on wear-and-tear on nosebleeds and frequent flyers. I have been vocal on this issue for a long time. Thankfully a bunch of agencies are adopting squads to run on the medical aids, reducing the truck from miles, and the higher risk of collisions than a standard pumper or smaller vehicle. I am assuming the agency you refer to may be short staffed, maybe the front line pumper is down so they are cross-staffing to the truck with only a crew of 3, and likely running mostly medical aids. I agree with you, a truck company should be 4-crew if you want that as your resource on a working structure fire.

Thank you Polecat! It sounds like maybe the amber stick is being left in low intensity for daytime operations which is why they seem less bright to me. I know many of the L.E. agencies use an automatic sensor for day/night and will set the intensity of the LED's in the light bar for appropriate time of operations/brightness.

Folks, I've noticed on most the rigs in at least California, that the rear amber traffic directors (some call them arrow sticks, traffic advisers or directional light bars), are fairly low intensity compared to other similar lights on other kinds of vehicles like Cal Trans, utility company vehicles, trash trucks, etc.. The ones on the non fire rigs, are much more bright, visible and effective, in my opinion. Does anyone know the theory behind this, and if perhaps the arrow sticks are set at a lower intensity lighting on fire rigs??

Looked like shops @ San Miguel Fire-Rescue near HQ & Fs15, has a new Spartan/Smeal being readied. Nice looking rig with American flag colors in the grill. It is white over red. No agency marking/unit# yet. The only agency near I can think is white over red is Viejas. Anyone know where that pumper is going.

I noticed on Pierce's Flickr account page, they showed seven new pumpers as new deliveries to LAFD.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM9eA822Hfc

Good point. I like competition for Pierce. The only way some of the competitors were going to survive Pierce was to consolidate like REV Group did with the portfolio of brands/manufacturers they purchased (E-One, KME & Ferrara). I would love to see Seagrave and Stephen become stronger competitors. I think Spartan buying Smeal was a good move! There is a reason Pierce is #1: quality, likeability, meeting delivery schedules fairly well, and more. The price points of Pierce are higher, but if the rig stays in service without mechanicals (% dispatch reliability), this is better for fire service not to mention costs. If the rig outlasts competition for useful life without retirement, that is better and represents a cost savings. If the rig retains a better re$ale value after retirement, that too is overall a contributor to the aggregate cost savings of a more reliable machine. After a few or even many years in service, it will be interesting to compare the Commander to the Impel, for Phoenix FD.

A MD-500 is not the right copter for firefighting and rescue. It does not have enough payload for firefighting and barely enough payload/capacity to be a rescue/MedEvac copter. Phoenix gets hot, has nearby mountains, so a MD-500 is not a good hot/high/heavy bird either. MD-500's make suitable police patrol copters, and even most departments have gone to or going to more modern and capable copters for policing.

Looks like they had LED light where the normal light bar would be. They've got the side warning down on bumper. Yes, not as much recognition with that set-up, but don't think anything is illegal.

Beautiful rig! I knew they were due for an updated Type-3. Nice to see Freightliners selling well. Do you know if the current B4 (Navistar, yellow in color) is going to be retired or go to Fs5's? Thank you for the post.

And sane minds prevail. Thank God Greta is not the one ordering fire trucks, like the electric one for $1.2 million. She'd bankrupt every fire department, we'd all burn down due to no firefighting apparatus, yet she'd say it was good for the environment. Yet TIME magazine names Greta "person of the year." God help us from Greta!

I heard the report on KCBS this morning, about Menlo Park FD getting delivery of the first all-electric pumper, in the nation! I believe the manufacturer is in Austria, though the plate on front says Rosenbauer, which I thought is American. Weird, just like California. I assume the associated pic of the rig is the Austrian demo or something, since FD does not use blue code lights in California. KCBS quoted a $1.2m price tag, which is expensive and more than many new aerials (trucks). I saw one news report saying it was $6m, which was funny, and an obvious type or bad data. The pictured rig looks very European, or like an American ARFF/CFR rig. The chief of Menlo Park Fire was saying in the KCBS report that the all electric rig has a better turning radius than any of their previous engines. For $1.2m, it had better! ~Rescue51 https://abc7news.com/society/-menlo-park-fire-district-unveils-worlds-first-all-electric-fire-engine/5748524/

Very interesting to see the new deliveries in Pierce's Flickr page showing this new USAR with a crane/lift on rear. You do not see too many of these around. Also of interest is Fire House on-line shows a new delivery I believe in 2018 of another Pierce USAR rig. I am wondering is San Jose rolling with the two (2) USAR's. ~Rescue51

Hello Mr. Ranger, thanks for that input. I found this on the San Jose FD Wikiepedia page, supporting your information. Looks like USARs A + B run out of fs34's. That is quite a set of resources for USAR with a C, D, E, trailers and boat. ~Rescue51 34 1634 Las Plumas Ave. Engine 34 USAR 34A, 34B USAR-C, USAR-D, USAR-E, USAR Trailers, USAR Boat

Wow, things sure changed quickly from last week: https://www.fireapparatusmagazine.com/2019/12/12/california-department-gets-a-look-at-all-electric-fire-apparatus/

I had to do further investigation, because a $6-million price for one pumper is not acceptable, sustainable, doable, and no department I know would purchase that resource for that price. Upon further investigation, Menlo Park will get an all electric pumper for $1.2 million. A prototype is what is costing $5-million (meaning developmental costs, R&D, and any sunk costs so-to-speak.) Here is a good news item to read on it. ~Rescue51 https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/12/12/menlo-park-fire-officials-unveil-worlds-first-all-electric-fire-truck/

Is KME still the Keep Mechanic Employed? I thought their rigs had been greatly improved since the earlier 2000's?

I saw last week on the Flickr page for Pierce, new deliveries, some 7 new pumpers being delivered. Not sure if others are on order too (I assume so).

Hello RicardoBerg, I always thought too what you propose, but many departments do not operate their own boxes, LA County being one. Even Heartland Fire-Rescue (El Cajon specifically) stopped running their own medic rigs in favor of giving AMR a contract for the medic boxes. Take care... ~Rescue51

Actually surprised Fs6's did not get the new rig, that Pierce pumper they have there must have some miles/hours on it.

Nice looking rig, not too much different than current E8 and E6, though it is different in some respects I see. All black wheels, interesting, same as T6. Looks like a different lightbar too. Is the current E8 gonna go to 7's, or perhaps 9's? I was sorta thinking Fs9's would get the next new engine in El Cajon, not 8's, though they do have a high call volume out of that house.

In Otay/San Ysidro area Friday, a flatbed tow truck driver received fatal crushing injuries from the tow truck he was trying to solve a hydraulic problem with between the cab and bed. SDFR asked for more resources which included Cal Fire's quint from Otay. A USAR or heavy rescue was requested for body recovery, and I noted that the former SDFR KME rig that once ran out of station 4's, arrived. Does anyone know if that is a reserve now or front-line at another station?