Running too many trucks

[Rescue51 44]

If you have followed my rants, I am going to be like a parrot and rant some more (or repeat my mantra): The east county agencies are running their trucks into the ground. First off, San Miguel Fire-Rescue runs their new Pierce T15 on way too many medical aids at BLS level. They need a squad or quick attack to run on those calls, why they'd be better off running an older brush rig on those. Heartland Fire-Rescue's Squad-6 has picked-up much of the load previously put on T6, but T6 still runs many BLS medical aids, due to the call volume out of Fs6, largely due to all the low-income housing and assisted care facilities in their area. I've noticed lately on rescues, usually TC's involving extrication, our east county is running two (2) trucks on the run.  Right now a rescue is underway in Spring Valley with both T15 and T11 assigned, just clearing and they were dispatched @ 9:49 this morning.  If our area got a working structure with need for ladder truck, we would be fairly TRUCK short. I believe the reasoning for two trucks dispatched is for both more tools and manpower. If you had more squads or dedicated RESCUE rigs you would not need to dispatch the trucks. In the past we had dedicated rescues, one time San Miguel Fire-Rescue had a rescue, El Cajon had a rescue, La Mesa had a rescue, Santee had a rescue. None of them have rescues, having gone the route of tasking trucks now for rescues. I believe this was a mistake, but perhaps a reality to make budgets work.  La Mesa has rescue capacity from their truck, and also from RE12, which is a nice rescue-pumper.  I think getting a utility truck type squad with rescue capacity would be ideal for these agencies mentioned, or a Navistar or Freightliner medium size dedicated rescue that could be used to roll on medical aids, versus the trucks. Thanks for letting me rant. Rescue51

[Rescue51 44]

I meant to say in above post that what is important in the fire services is tradeoffs. The way I look at it is these trucks get run into ground and well depreciated, due to their high run volume on BLS/MedAids, lockouts, and rescues at a distance (like when Santee T4 responds to Alpine for a vehicle rescue, or San Miguel's T15 runs a call into El Cajon).  This is not effective nor efficient use of an expensive truck that often times is out of service because of high usage--look at how often Heartland/El Cajon's T6 has been out-of-service, thus cannot respond to a working structure.  I like these mini-pumpers or quick attack rigs. As you can see, you could configure one for a quick brush attack rig, or rescue, or low height profile to get into parking structures.  Even though the one says Vengeant, I believe it is the model name and made by 911 Rapid Response, in Pennsylvania.  Nice rigs!  A YouTube video too here to look at aspects of a mini pumper and have it serve as a squad, run it on MedAids, or even run it as a truck tender since it has a water/foam tank, pump, that many trucks lack (like T6 and T11 in Heartland's area).  ~Rescue51
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fV8STiPObxc

[Rescue51 44]

Plus Santee Truck-4 has no water/pump, so it too could see great benefits from a tender unit with water/pump, and perhaps that unit could be used to respond to all the MedAid calls T4 responds to, reducing the wear-and-tear on the newer Pierce TDA T4. 

[e5911 23]

Its all trade offs, there is never enough money to do what you want.  The other thing to keep in mind is the groups that complain about running this or that too much, are in compitition with those who state a million dollor  truck running no calls is a waste of money.  Plus a rig like a light rescue mini pumper needs manpower unless you are going to strip a truck company to cover the squad....no perfect solutions.