By Alan M. Petrillo The Coplay (PA) Fire Department needed to replace a 30-year-old engine and an equally aging rescue truck. But instead of purchasing two new vehicles, it decided to merge their functions...
Tractor-Drawn Aerials (TDAs) Offer Maneuverability, Maximum Compartment Space, Excess Ground Ladder Storage
Tractor-Drawn Aerials (TDAs) once were a common sight in fire department fleets, especially in fire departments where their coverage area includes older city areas filled with narrow streets, or...
Wildland Innovations Powering Designs in Rigs Crafted for Fire Agency’s Needs
By Alan M. Petrillo There are plenty of wildland Type 6 and Type 3 fire vehicles in fire department and fire agency fleets throughout the country, based chiefly on the typical requirements of wildland firefighters for maneuverability and off-road capability in the...
Tanker Innovations Improve Water Carrying, Vehicle Handling Abilities
By Alan M. Petrillo Tankers (tenders), especially those carrying very large amounts of water, have sometimes been criticized for two major drawbacks: sacrificing compartment space to get to a specified...
City of Winston-Salem (NC) Fire Department Tractor-Drawn Aerial
CHASSIS Severe Service XMFD with Flat Roof Hendrickson FireMaxx Air-Ride Warn 9000# Poratble Winch DRIVE TRAIN Cummins ISX 12 500 HP Engine with Brake Allison 4000EVS 5-Speed Automatic Transmission PUMP & TANK Waterous S100 2,000 GPM Single Stage Pump BODY...
Nashville (TN) Fire Department KME Aerial
CHASSIS 100" Severe Service XMFD Flat Roof DRIVE TRAIN Cummins ISX15 600-hp Engine Allison 4000 EVS Transmission AERIAL 103' 4 Section AerialCat Ladder 94' Horzontal Reach 50 mph Wind Load Rating 1/4" Ice on Entire Structure -7 Degree to +80 Degree Electric Range 2.5...
Rig of the Day: Chautauqua Fire District, NY, Custom Pumper
CHASSIS KME 96" Severe Service LFD with 10" Raised Roof EZ Trac Hydraulic AWD System Valvac Heated & Remote Control Mirrors DRIVE TRAIN Cummins ISL 9 400 HP Engine Allison 3000 EVS Transmission PUMP & TANK Hale Qmax 1,500-gpm Single-Stage Pump 750 Gallon Poly...
PA Volunteer Fire Company Gets TDA from KME
By Alan M. Petrillo The North Penn Volunteer Fire Company, North Wales, Pennsylvania, wanted to replace a 1997 Simon LTI 75-foot quint with a longer ladder, but not necessarily another quint, as long as the...
Greenwood Hose #1, Moosic, PA Custom Rescue Truck
CHASSIS 100" KME Panther LFD with 16" Raised-Roof Cab DRIVE TRAIN Cummins ISL9 450-hp Engine PUMP & TANK Burner Stored Air CAFS BODY 4-Compartment Walk-Around Rescue Constructed of 3/16" Aluminum Onspot 6 Strained Chain System for Single Rear Axle Robinson Roll-up...
KME Builds Custom CAFS Rear-Mount Rescue-Pumper for Seiverville (TN) Fire Department
The Seiverville (TN) Fire Department has had a lot of success using compressed air foam systems (CAFS) and rear-mount pumpers, so when it came time to replace an aging pumper, the truck committee wanted to have a similar vehicle built. By Alan M. Petrillo After...
Technology Developments Propelling Fire Apparatus Into Future
By Alan M. Petrillo Fire apparatus are getting smarter, easier to operate, and safer for firefighters thanks largely to electronic technology being incorporated into the veins of the trucks. AXIS™ Smart Truck Technology is one such system that connects to various...
Industrial Apparatus Sizes Run from Large to Huge
By Alan M. Petrillo The design of industrial fire apparatus usually centers around one main attribute, that of putting maximum amounts of water through the rig to protect industrial facilities such as refineries, chemical plants, and other large manufacturing...