Where Is The Tower Ladder Culture In Los Angeles?

[firepost 15]

 I know that the  San Diego City fire department had been using a full size Snorkel at Truck 14 until a few years ago when it was replaced with a Pierce rearmounted Aerial Ladder with a prepiped waterway. I don't know if the Snorkel is still on reserve status or whether San Diego had gotten rid of it. San Diego had been using Snorkels for quite a few years and in the late 80's and early 90's they had total of 4 Tower Ladders however they are no longer in service and I am not sure if they still have any of them.

 It is interesting to see the Los Angeles City Fire Department had a Sutphen Tower in it's shops some 10 to 15 years ago according to this thread. Too bad that they didn't try it out or try out another make or model. While Los Angeles City may have some narrow streets in the Santa Monica mountains where maneuvering a Tower Ladder could be a problem. I really think that their reluctance to purchase a large (meaning 75 feet or higher) Aerial Platform stems from when an 85 foot Snorkel had flipped over and a fire fighter was unfortunately killed. The cause was found to be that one of the out riggers wasn't fully extended. Since then Snorkels had been equipped with safety systems that warn you if the outriggers are not fully extended and may even lock the platform lifting mechanism unless the out rigger is in place.

That may not be very relevant  now as most fire departments in recent years have been using Tower Ladders instead of Snorkels. Unfortunately accidents do happen in what is known as a dangerous "calling" and that doesn't really mean that large aerial platforms should be banned from use on a Fire Department.  About 9 years after the "Snorkel accident" another Los Angeles City fire fighter (Brian Phillips) was killed on April 25 1979 when a ladder pipe on the Ladder he was on had come loose and knocked him off of the Ladder. Ladder pipes are not inherently safer then Snorkels or Elevating Platforms  but unfortunately accidents do happen no matter the device or apparatus that  you are using. 

  The Los Angeles Fire Department and it fire fighters are amongst the best in the world, however the LAFD management seems to be "Aerial Plafform shy". 

   The Los Angeles Fire Department Tillered Aerial Ladders work very well for their fire department however having a few Tower Ladders or  Large Elevating Platforms in it's apparatus fleet could also prove useful in some circumstances and elevating platforms also have some distinct advantages (such as in removing victims on litters and also removing ambulatory victims from roofs ,porches and windows. They also allow for more tactical flexibility for fire fighters who are directing a master stream from the Platform as opposed to being  perched on a ladder rung for a while.