Los Angeles Fire Dept

[usonian55077]

[quote name='Monrovia1' date='25 July 2010 - 07:59 PM' timestamp='1280104753' post='394539']





Truck 98 in a reserve LTI.

[/quote]



Here's a prime example of what I love about LAFD & LACoFD. This is a reserve rig. For most departments, that means "ridden hard & put away wet". Yet, the only blemish I can spot on this piece of equipment is a slightly beat up siren speaker. I wish I could find a high-end used car in as pristine shape as the LA-area rigs.

[Guest]

Have to say that the West Coast seams to have some better pride in the rides. But the 2 FD's you mention also have a high rate of ROTATION. A rig is not in the same house for its whole life that often. Look at Engine 236 in LACo... I was there in 1998, in the time frame since I was there they have had 2 NEW Engines. But even as the rig is clean and nice the big miles they have on move up is kind of NUTS!

[firescooby]

[quote name='Fireman5230' date='06 August 2010 - 12:57 AM' timestamp='1281069473' post='396194']

Have to say that the West Coast seams to have some better pride in the rides. But the 2 FD's you mention also have a high rate of ROTATION. A rig is not in the same house for its whole life that often. Look at Engine 236 in LACo... I was there in 1998, in the time frame since I was there they have had 2 NEW Engines. But even as the rig is clean and nice the big miles they have on move up is kind of NUTS!

[/quote]



Yeah, we've had our new engine for 2 years and it currently has 38k miles with 4000+ calls/year. We keep engines as first out for 10 years. At that rate we'll have right at 200k miles or more. The engines are kept as spares for 5 or more years after that. We just salvaged a 1991 Sutphen engine with a tick over 300k miles on it.

[Ladder 68]

Our apparatus replacement program uses call volume for determination of which companies get new rigs, much like I am sure LAFD does. If you get a new rig you have to keep it 4 years. After 4 years if your response numbers are at the top in the city you get another new rig. This is determined by quantity purchased of course, but typically busy stations get new rigs every 4-5 years.



Example: Engine 68 had a '94, then '97, then '00 then '05 rigs. In Ladder 68 we had a '97, then a '01, then a '07 and now a '10.



Older rigs are then refurbed in-house in a detailed program where interior upholstery is redone, door panels and the like re-painted, warning lights upgraded, "new" company graphics applied and the mechanical completely gone over.



Needless to say the "slower" are alsways complaining about always getting "hand-me-downs" but the system works well enough.

[Monrovia1]

Another shot of Truck 39 working it's way back into quarters.

[firescooby]

[quote name='Ladder 68' date='06 August 2010 - 07:50 PM' timestamp='1281137439' post='396266']

Our apparatus replacement program uses call volume for determination of which companies get new rigs, much like I am sure LAFD does. If you get a new rig you have to keep it 4 years. After 4 years if your response numbers are at the top in the city you get another new rig. This is determined by quantity purchased of course, but typically busy stations get new rigs every 4-5 years.



Example: Engine 68 had a '94, then '97, then '00 then '05 rigs. In Ladder 68 we had a '97, then a '01, then a '07 and now a '10.



Older rigs are then refurbed in-house in a detailed program where interior upholstery is redone, door panels and the like re-painted, warning lights upgraded, "new" company graphics applied and the mechanical completely gone over.



Needless to say the "slower" are alsways complaining about always getting "hand-me-downs" but the system works well enough.

[/quote]



That makes a lot of sense. Our last engine was a 1999 and was involved in an accident in 2007. It was repaired and went to the spare pool, and we ran numerous spares for almost 2 years before we got our current engine. In 2009 we ran a little over 4300 calls and we really rack up the miles. I just don't think that these new trucks with all the emission stuff and electrical gizmo's are going to last nearly as long.

[Monrovia1]

Right now the LAFD fleet is in a very crticial spot, Due to the city facing a huge million dollar shortfall the department has taken it's share of cuts, The shops have laid off a large portion of there staff resulting in longer downtime of apparatus and increased wear and tear on the reserve fleet, The department has already had to place into service it's 600 Series rescue's, Ambulances that are fully stocked and ready to go in event of a large scale disaster.

[Monrovia1]

Engine 239 in a 1984 Seagrave, These are starting to be phased out of the department fleet.

[ffemtwakeman]

[quote name='Fireman5230' date='06 August 2010 - 12:57 AM' timestamp='1281069473' post='396194']

Have to say that the West Coast seams to have some better pride in the rides. But the 2 FD's you mention also have a high rate of ROTATION. A rig is not in the same house for its whole life that often. Look at Engine 236 in LACo... I was there in 1998, in the time frame since I was there they have had 2 NEW Engines. But even as the rig is clean and nice the big miles they have on move up is kind of NUTS!

[/quote]



Just my two cents, but could the lack of Road Salt play a big role in how well apparatus holds up in LA and LACo? When I went across the country in '08 and '09 I noticed that older rigs (ones that would have been rusted out POS's in NE) were in like new condition.

[usonian55077]

[quote name='ffemtwakeman' date='07 August 2010 - 06:15 AM' timestamp='1281178515' post='396312']

Just my two cents, but could the lack of Road Salt play a big role in how well apparatus holds up in LA and LACo? When I went across the country in '08 and '09 I noticed that older rigs (ones that would have been rusted out POS's in NE) were in like new condition.

[/quote]



Most definitely. I know that the Duluth, Minnesota FD has an adage for winter maintenance: "If the truck turns a wheel, you wash the truck"

[Guest]

that is very true, growing up on the east coast in a small pa town, my father was a member of a company that after every run in rain or snow , when they got back to the station, the undercarrige and wheel well were rinsed off before backing the rig into the station

[Monrovia1]

Rescue 39.

[Guest]

Does anyone have pics of the new KME pumpers, especially hosebed or compartment shots?

[Guest]

[quote name='phyrngn' date='28 August 2010 - 08:00 AM' timestamp='1283006459' post='399602']

Does anyone have pics of the new KME pumpers, especially hosebed or compartment shots?

[/quote]



Phyrngn,



The KMEs are not on the streets yet. They are currently being outfitted. The shops are swamped w/ rigs that need repairs & a lack of mechanics to get them into service. Last I heard, they should be hitting the streets around October.



Hope that helps,

[Guest]

[quote name='Monrovia1' date='07 August 2010 - 01:20 AM' timestamp='1281157203' post='396305']





Engine 239 in a 1984 Seagrave, These are starting to be phased out of the department fleet.

[/quote]



That's too bad - They still look brand new! Props to LAFD for the manner in which they maintain their rigs!

[Guest]

[quote name='casey' date='28 August 2010 - 03:24 PM' timestamp='1283025850' post='399632']

Phyrngn,



The KMEs are not on the streets yet. They are currently being outfitted. The shops are swamped w/ rigs that need repairs & a lack of mechanics to get them into service. Last I heard, they should be hitting the streets around October.



Hope that helps,

[/quote]



Thanks, Casey!

[R1SmokeEater]

Where do the old LAFD rigs end up when gotten rid of ?

[marco17]

[quote name='R1SmokeEater' date='30 August 2010 - 10:47 AM' timestamp='1283178434' post='400026']

Where do the old LAFD rigs end up when gotten rid of ?

[/quote]





R1... They are either typically donated to a nonprofit organization with a need, or more often then not auctioned off through one of a couple local auction houses. Needless to say, with their budget difficulties like so many other departments, many trucks that would typically have been auctioned off by now are still on the streets.

[Monrovia1]

[quote name='marco17' date='30 August 2010 - 08:42 AM' timestamp='1283181750' post='400029']

R1... They are either typically donated to a nonprofit organization with a need, or more often then not auctioned off through one of a couple local auction houses. Needless to say, with their budget difficulties like so many other departments, many trucks that would typically have been auctioned off by now are still on the streets.

[/quote]





I know some have even made there way south of the border into Mexico.

[Monrovia1]

Fire 5 setting down.