Heartland and San Miguel and status of trucks

[Rescue51 44]

I was noticing last week that it appeared Heartland T6 (El Cajon) and T11 (La Mesa) were out-of-service and not responding.  San Diego Fire-Rescue was even covering El Cajon with their T10.  The new Pierce truck that recently went in service with San Miguel (T15), appeared down too, with the older Pierce truck taking the runs.  As to Heartland, do you know if T6 and T11 are out-of-service of just not being staffed due to any strike team/mutual aid where there is not enough staffing for the trucks with other FF's deployed up north? 

[Rescue51 44]

Saw Heartland Fire-Rescue's T11 (La Mesa) was running calls today, so that is back in service.

[mesabill 18]

Just curious if the City of El Cajon might be looking at replacing T6 soon, seems to be expensive keep Her in service?

[619Emergencys 36]

T6 in service just now, probably wont last long. 

[Rescue51 44]

Thank God T6 is a Pierce and not one of the other manufacturers, cuz they'd have no truck.  I don't see T6 getting replaced for some time.  With the COVID economy, falling tax revenues, the budgets are gonna get super tight if not slashed (or burned up).  The best thing El Cajon FD (Heartland Fire-Rescue) did which is what I told the fire chief 10-years ago they should do, is to place into service Squad 6 to run most the calls the truck had been beaten-up on like 5150 frequent flyers, hangnails, METH-heads who OD, and those that cannot afford an Uber so they call 911.  T6 was advanced depreciated at an ever-accelerating rate.  Poor truck and crew would have not likely been in position to cover a working structure because they were committed on a medical aid.  Agencies all around need to rethink their departments, their models, the traditions, as times get much more tough. 

[Jwimig 18]

On 9/29/2020 at 9:11 PM, Rescue51 said:

Thank God T6 is a Pierce and not one of the other manufacturers, cuz they'd have no truck.  I don't see T6 getting replaced for some time.  With the COVID economy, falling tax revenues, the budgets are gonna get super tight if not slashed (or burned up).  The best thing El Cajon FD (Heartland Fire-Rescue) did which is what I told the fire chief 10-years ago they should do, is to place into service Squad 6 to run most the calls the truck had been beaten-up on like 5150 frequent flyers, hangnails, METH-heads who OD, and those that cannot afford an Uber so they call 911.  T6 was advanced depreciated at an ever-accelerating rate.  Poor truck and crew would have not likely been in position to cover a working structure because they were committed on a medical aid.  Agencies all around need to rethink their departments, their models, the traditions, as times get much more tough. 

And that, dear friends, is why metro Phoenix departments run ladder tenders ("LT's") on most truck assignments, leaving the aerial in quarters, with Low Acuity ("LA") and Medical Response ("MR") units running many of the 80% "I've fallen and I can't get up" calls, to save Engines from running their wheels off.

Edited October 1, 2020 by Jwimig

[buckeyefyrfoto 16]

On 10/1/2020 at 11:39 AM, Jwimig said:

And that, dear friends, is why metro Phoenix departments run ladder tenders ("LT's") on most truck assignments, leaving the aerial in quarters, with Low Acuity ("LA") and Medical Response ("MR") units running many of the 80% "I've fallen and I can't get up" calls, to save Engines from running their wheels off.

Alot of people scoff at the Ladder Tender concept, yet it works and works extremely well. People say "what if a structure fire tones out and you're in the LT?" No big deal. The LT has everything the big ladder has, minus the aerial, which 90% of the time you don't need on a residential house fire. Besides, if an aerial is needed, the next closet one is dispatched. That's also another good thing of automatic aid. No delays in getting additional resources. The Phoenix metro is basically one big fire department. Only difference is the color of the apparatus.