RescueWV
Member
Boredom and curiosity led me to look through the call list for my rural/small town fire department today (average about 100 calls/year). What I found was that over half of the calls we've had this year fit into one of the following categories:
And yet, that's exactly what we DON'T have. Our only "small" apparatus is a Dodge Ram outfitted as a brush truck. But it only seats two, and is loaded to the gills with a 200 gallon tank, forestry hose, and other wildland equipment. With a case of road flares and a chain saw, it can handle some tree down calls and minor traffic control, but it's hardly an all-purpose sort of vehicle. Otherwise, most of these sorts of calls get handled by our rescue-engine, or custom-cab pumper.
I know it's hardly a new or novel idea, but I'd like to look at proposing our department gets a "well equipped pickup truck," probably a crew cab with either with a utility body, or a cap, to be able to respond on these sorts of public service calls, and was wondering if anyone had experience in downsizing your fire department's fleet like this? Do's and don'ts or pros and cons?
- Flooding (Either pumping out flooded basements, or traffic control for flooded roadways)
- Traffic Control (Disabled vehicles, non-injury accidents, and shutting down highways for blizzard conditions
- Tree Down/Wires Down/Pole Down/Debris on Roadway
- EMS Assist (Primarily lift assist, but occasionally first response/QRS)
And yet, that's exactly what we DON'T have. Our only "small" apparatus is a Dodge Ram outfitted as a brush truck. But it only seats two, and is loaded to the gills with a 200 gallon tank, forestry hose, and other wildland equipment. With a case of road flares and a chain saw, it can handle some tree down calls and minor traffic control, but it's hardly an all-purpose sort of vehicle. Otherwise, most of these sorts of calls get handled by our rescue-engine, or custom-cab pumper.
I know it's hardly a new or novel idea, but I'd like to look at proposing our department gets a "well equipped pickup truck," probably a crew cab with either with a utility body, or a cap, to be able to respond on these sorts of public service calls, and was wondering if anyone had experience in downsizing your fire department's fleet like this? Do's and don'ts or pros and cons?