Trends in Fire Apparatus Options
Over the last few years I’ve seen a few items becoming more prevalent in the fire apparatus specification process. Some of these are not the “latest and greatest” but they are items that have been around for some time and are becoming requested more often on new apparatus.
Frontal and Side Impact Air Bags:
Air bags became required for cars and light duty trucks in the United States on Sept 1,1998 yet there is no mandatory standard for over the road trucks, commercial vehicles and fire apparatus. In the past few years several apparatus manufactures have started offering, as an option, front impact, side impact and side rollover air bag systems in their custom cabs. To my knowledge, all manufacturers are offering side rollover air bag systems, but not all are offering front and side impact air bag systems. Whether a fire apparatus manufacture feels this is necessary or not, due to their cab design, material component etc… this item is now being customer driven. More fire departments, districts and municipal agencies are requiring the successful vendor to include frontal, side impact and side rollover air bag systems. The majority of customers I have spoken with feel air bags systems provide an added measure of safety and in all the purchases I have been involved with, all feel it is worth the additional cost.
Safety Items:
Fire departments are asking for more basic safety items. Wider stepping surfaces (fold down steps, bolt on steps etc…), extra handrails, beyond the minimum requirements. Emergency lighting, above and beyond the minimal standard, on all sides of the vehicle. More reflective striping, specifically on the edges of all pull out trays, tool boards and draws in the body compartments so when the body compartment doors are in the open position, the vehicle still has reflectability. Some customers are even going as far as stating “no folding or bolt on steps” and instead are requiring permanently mounted ladders on the back of apparatus as a safer means of accessing the hose bed or upper storage compartment areas.
Multipurpose Apparatus:
I think the biggest apparatus change in the last few years has been the rise in popularity of the multipurpose apparatus. Many manufactures have come out with there design for a vehicle to fit this classification. Some of the more common offerings include: The MVP (Multi Vocational Pumper) by Ferrara. Toyne’s is the PRV, (Priority Response Vehicle). KME offers the PRO. E-One offers the eMAX and Spartan offers the Transformer. While the overall economy of the country seems to be rebounding and more apparatus orders seem to be on the uptick, municipal funded fire agencies in particular are still faced with tight economic situations. Delayed adoption of state budgets, taxpayer watchdog committees reviewing budgets and equipment purchases have forced many fire agencies to sell two or more apparatus and buy a new single multipurpose vehicle. Career fire agencies are concerned with reduced operation expenses, attempting to reduce the overall fleet size, while volunteer fire agencies are dealing with reduced manpower during the daytime hours and having one multipurpose vehicle being able to response to different types of alarms seems to be some of the driving factors.
For more information and or how I might be able to assist your agency with fire apparatus design, inspections, evaluations etc... contact me at [email protected] . www.jlyonsconsulting.com
The above is an outtake from an interview I was featured in on Firerescue1.com in February 2018. To read the full article go to: https://www.firerescue1.com/fire-products/fire-apparatus/articles/375504018-Q-A-Whats-hot-in-fire-apparatus/