Private contract fire equipment

[Aaronw]

The Skidgine is based on a military surplus M548 and carries a 1000 gallon tank.

 

 

 

 

[Aaronw]

The tender is built on a Mack CH chassis

 

500gpm PTO / 300gpm diesel aux pump, 2500 gallon tank.

 

It is also equipped with a CAFS system.

 

 

 

 

[Aaronw]

CAFS equipped type 6 engine built on a four wheel drive Mitsubishi chassis. Operated by Northwest Fire Service of Bend, OR.

[Aaronw]

Greyback Forestry is a large fire contractor from Oregon established in the 1980s. They offer a range of services, including crews, engines, water tenders and camp support equipment.

 

 

Greyback type 6 engine

[Aaronw]

Greyback water tender

 

 

[Aaronw]

Greyback crew buggy

 

 

[Aaronw]

Greyback grey water tanker used for camp support

 

 

 

 

[upstatefire31]

Contract type 3 engine operated by Outback Firefighting of Montana. This again shows the ingenuity of some contractors, the black box behind the cab that resembles a sleeper is the water tank.

I know this truck came from NY but I don't remember which one

[Aaronw]

Post #58 addressed this, it is apparently ex West Winfield, NY

[Guest]

CAFS equipped type 6 engine built on a four wheel drive Mitsubishi chassis. Operated by Northwest Fire Service of Bend, OR.

This is a very unique looking truck, you wouldn't have a shot of the rear would you?

[Aaronw]

Actually I do have it from the back, here you go.

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

Actually I do have it from the back, here you go.

Thank you, I haven't seen many mitsubishis in use for North American fire services

[BHFire13]

I honestly would love to see more COE brush trucks in service in the states, I always hear guys saying pickup truck chassis for the shorter wheelbase but most i've seen are almost on par with a 7600 IH wheelbase which beggs the question? Arent brush trucks sopossed to be small to excess small areas? Why does it seem over the years they are as big as type 1 engine now ? Are the current COE chassis offered in the states now too underpowered for wildland work ?

[upstatefire31]

Contract type 3 engine operated by Outback Firefighting of Montana. This again shows the ingenuity of some contractors, the black box behind the cab that resembles a sleeper is the water tank.

Back when she was in the FD....and side note...the dept built that tank not the contractor. Was a tanker then a brush/water supply unit 

[Image7801]

I saw this rig coming towards me when I was in Newport Beach, CA back in October.  I took a quick grab shot, not realizing until I looked at it that it is private.

 

After looking closely, this unit is a "Wildfire Protection Unit" owned by AIG Insurance.  It is used to prevent and to fight wildland fires for certain clients (lots of $$$, I assume) of AIG Insurance, using either Phos-Chek (the red retardant that air tankers drop) or Class A foam on homes (if they are allowed into wildfire areas, that is).  They say clearly that they are NOT a private fire department, but a loss mitigation group (sort of like a modern fire patrol, I guess).  According to their website, they cover California, Colorado and certain parts of Texas.

 

I can't tell the body builder, but it's on Ford F-450 or -550 chassis.  No other specs, unfortunately.

   

 

[nozzleman]

Great pictures and fantastic information. One thing has me lost are the different classes of wildland engine companies.

[Aaronw]

Great pictures and fantastic information. One thing has me lost are the different classes of wildland engine companies.

Engine typing is basically based on pump, tank and crew size. California finally got on the same page as the rest of the US so we no longer have two separate but similar standards. These are minimums, it is ok to exceed them although that may put it into another class.

Type 1
1000 gpm pump, 300 gal tank, crew of 4. Also requires 1200ft 2.5" (or larger) hose, 500ft 1.5" hose, ground ladders per NFPA and a master stream of 500gpm.

Type 2
500 gpm pump, 300 gal tank, crew of 3. Also requires 1000 ft 2.5" (or larger) hose, 500 ft 1.5" hose, ground ladders per NFPA

Type 3
150gpm pump (@250psi so really 300gpm in most cases), 500 gal tank, crew of 3. Also 1000 ft 1.5" and 500 ft of 1" hose

Type 4
50 gpm pump, 750 gal tank, crew of 2. Also 300 ft 1.5" and 300 ft 1" hose.

Type 5
50 gpm pump, 400 gal tank, crew of 2. Also 300 ft 1.5" and 300 ft of 1" hose.

Type 6
50gpm pump, 150 gal tank, crew of 2. Also 300 ft 1.5" and 300 ft 1" hose.

Type 7
10 gpm pump, 50 gal tank, crew of 2. Also 200 ft of 1" hose.



Type 1 and Type 2 are structure engines

Type 3 is a heavy brush engine with a large (relatively) pump. Must be capable of pump and roll, usually a PTO, but occasionally a large auxiliary engine driven pump.

Type 4-6 are primarily pump and roll rigs (usually have an auxiliary engine driven pump) and differ primarily in tank size. Max GVWs have been added to type 5-7 to help prevent overloading a smaller chassis.

Type 7 are patrol rigs, small pump and tank.

[Aaronw]

[size=4]After looking closely, this unit is a "Wildfire Protection Unit" owned by AIG Insurance.

This is a fairly recent development, the idea being insurance companies provide equipment to specifically target policy holders property. There was some concern initially that they would be freelance rogue units wandering about the fire line without direction or accountability. I haven't personally run across this situation yet, but understand in practice they are falling into the overall plan and going where the fire command lets them go. Basically just extra equipment that is somewhat self directed (assume they can insist on working where they have policy holders).

Similar issues occasionally come up with large property owners who have some of their own equipment, often dozers or small brush trucks from their normal operations. In these situations the team usually works them into the plan for accountability but leaves the specifics to them. It is politically difficult to tell a (probably wealthy and well connected) land owner they can't protect their own property.

[Juice]

One thing has me lost are the different classes of wildland engine companies.

 

That, and how it's determined what makes a certain "type" of Ambulance; Type I, Type II, Type III

[Guest]

 

That, and how it's determined what makes a certain "type" of Ambulance; Type I, Type II, Type III

 

The Wildland I will leave to others as it has to do with water on board and I think pumps.

 

The Ambulances are fairly easy.  (Watered down by eye sight version below - technically GVW has a say in determining this as well.)

 

Type I = Most pickup chassis basically if the box and chassis are not physically attached besides by a bellows it's a type I

Type II = Van's and yes sometimes station wagons without a module/box (There are at least two Suburban SUV Type II in Wyoming and I've heard of possibly two Volvo's in Montana at mine sites)

Type III = Most any van chassis with module/box that are attached together just behind the chassis doors

 

Now to muddy the waters some more you also have AD = Additional Duty (or Medium Duty) which tend to be any chassis above a F-450 series.

 

You can also have a pickup chassis with module/box that's a type III. 

 

Kris